The Key to Her Past
by VarekaiSoleil
Summary: Her past is a mystery, so many questions... but a chance meeting will send her on a journey to find the answers. Could there be more to this relationship that lock and key?
1. Arosukir Iriak

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters in Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Chapter one! I was writing another story, and Inuyasha fic called Interrupted Love, but I started having trouble deciding what to do next, so I'm starting new... check out my other story, though, and tell me if you think I should keep it up! R+R!

* * *

Chapter 1- Arosukir Iriak

She took a candle from her night stand and lit it with a match. Then, she tiptoed over to a bookshelf, and pulled out a book with a red velvet cover. The bookshelf slowly shifted to the left, and she stepped into the narrow passageway behind it. She could hear her dress dragging behind her on the stone floor in the passageway. After a few moments of walking in the darkness, she reached a place where the passage widened and two torches lit the space. She lifted one torch from its mounting on the wall, and an opening appeared in front of her, leading into the library. She was not allowed into the library at night, so she used this secret entrance to go there whenever she pleased.

Once inside, she set down her candle on a desk and began to look around. Even if she wasn't going to read anything, being in the library calmed her down. She lit a few more candles. Just as she had lit the last candle, she saw the light reflect off of something in the corner of her eye. She turned to see a large book lying on a small table beside an armchair. She walked over to the chair and took a seat, lifting the book from its resting place to take a look. She had never seen this book before. She dusted off the leather cover to reveal gold lettering. The light continued to flicker, making the letters appear to be dancing. The letters read _Arosukir_ _Iriak_. She slowly began to open the book. Just as she had completely opened it and started to read, the letters began to glow a bright yellow light, and the book slammed shut. Startled, she placed the book back on the table and stared in astonishment. Suddenly, a light from another candle shone from under the door, followed by a loud knocking, then a voice.

"Fleur! Fleur, I know you're in there! You should be in bed, young lady!" Fleur heard the scratchy old voice of her guardian, Roselin. She quickly picked up her candle and blew the others out. She stepped quietly towards the passageway, and once inside, she placed the torch in its mounting to close the entrance. She hastily walked back through the dark passage into her room again. She pushed the red book back into place, and blew out the candle as the bookshelf shifted again. She quickly threw herself into her bed and pulled the covers over her face, pretending to be asleep. Right on time, Roselin stomped down the hall to Fleur's room. She opened the door, but said nothing when she saw Fleur in bed. As Roselin left the room, Fleur poked her head out from under the covers. When the coast was clear, she lit the candle again and pulled out a sheet of parchment and a quill pen. She dipped the pen in ink and began writing-

_Arosukir Iriak_

_What does this mean? _

_And what made that book shut itself?_

_Is there anyone who can help me answer these questions?_

_I'll save these and others for later._

_But the boy in my dreams... he must have something to do with this._

She folded the parchment in thirds and reached for a book on her desk that had a lock on it. She pulled out a key from around her neck and unlocked the diary. She slipped the delicate piece of parchment inside, and locked it up again. She put the key back on her necklace, laid back down on her bed, and slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.

She awoke the next morning to the sound of horse hooves outside. She arose and looked out her window to the gravel road below. A crude wagon was stopped in front of the castle. She saw a boy and a man emerge. The boy was dressed in old, tattered clothes, while the man was dressed nicely in a suit and tie. The man was carrying papers with him.

She rushed over to her armoire and picked out a dress. It was a very smooth, light shade of turquoise, with thin straps over her shoulders and it laced up in the back. A silk bow tied gracefully near her lower back wrapped around her waist in a shade slightly darker than the rest of her dress. Now she needed Hilda, her lady's maid. She poked her head out of the door and called for Hilda. Moments later, a woman, only a few years older than Fleur herself, came rushing down the hall in a black dress with an apron on.

"You called, Princess?" Hilda said lightly.

"I told you not to call me that... If I'm a princess, then where are the king and queen, my parents? So maybe I am... but still... just call me Fleur." Fleur never liked being called Princess Fleur, because it felt weird, being royal when she didn't even know her own parents. Roselin had raised her, and she didn't know how, if at all, Roselin was related to her. "Anyway, Hilda... I need you to help me get dressed and do my hair. It seems that we have a guest this morning."

* * *

Notes- That's chapter 1! Hope you enjoyed it... in the next chapter Fleur will meet the new servant boy. R+R! Reviews keep me going!

-VarekaiSoleil


	2. Meeting the Guests

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II

Notes-Ok now we meet the new servant...

Last time- Fleur was talking to Hilda about their "guests."

* * *

"Anyway, Hilda... I need you to help me get dressed and do my hair. It seems that we have a guest this morning." Fleur said.

"Yes, Fleur. Well... not exactly a guest... it's just another servant. Roselin wants to have another one to watch you and make sure you do as you're told. Poor boy..."

_Damn that Roselin! If im a princess, then how does she get about telling me what to do? She treats me like an animal, keeping me all cooped up in the castle... Some guardian she is! _Fleur thought to herself. She sighed deep as Hilda pulled the laces tight in the back of her dress and fluffed the bow a bit.

"What would you like me to do with your hair, Fleur?" Hilda asked polietly.

"I don't know... just pull it back some."

Hilda took out a ribbon in the same shade as Fleur's dress. She pulled her hair into a bun, leaving some of her brown curls to fall behind her ears.

"Lovely. Thanks so much, Hilda."

"No problem, dear. Anything else before I go prepare breakfast?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

With that, Hilda scuttled off down the hall again. Fleur followed behind soon after, stepping gracefully down the stairs to meet the newcomer. Her hand slid down the railing as her shoes made light clicking sounds on her way down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, everyone turned to look. Roselin commented first.

"Ahh, Fleur. Don't you look lovely? Here, meet Mr. Fletcher. He is a businessman, and he has brought us a new little helper."

_How dare she act as if we are on good terms... one day Roselin will pay for treating me like this! Putting on an act for our guests..._

Then Mr. Fletcher spoke up. "Oh, so you must be Princess Fleur! 'Tis and honor, and a privilege." he said as he took Fleur's hand and kissed it lightly.

"Please, just Fleur. And who might this be?" Fleur asked, directing her attention to the boy in the tattered clothing who had been staring at her.

"Introduce yourself, you rude little brat!" Fletcher hissed at the boy.

"Oh... sorry... I... I'm Sora... pleased to meet you, Fleur..." The boy said.

"How dare you call her by her first name! You treat her with respect, you hear me?" Fletcher raised his voice once more.

"Actually," Fleur began. "I'm quite pleased that he feels comfortable enough to call me Fleur. Not many people do, and I wish they would. So no scolding is needed. Roselin, Hilda told me you wanted this boy to look after me, and make sure I do as I'm told. In that case, come with me, Sora. I'll show you around and get you settled in." Fleur took the boy by the hand and led him away into the living room. Roselin and Fletcher stared in surprise.

"Well then... I will sign the papers," Roselin told Fletcher.

"Right... sign here... and here... initial here... great! We're all set! Let me know if you have any problems. Good day, madam!" Fletcher said as he walked out the door. Roselin waved goodbye as she turned toward the living room entrance. She growled low in her throat, and walked off toward the kitchen.

* * *

Notes- Hoped you liked chapter 2! I think by now we all know who the boy is... R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	3. Making a Pact

Disclaimer- I don't own any characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Okay so lets see... right! Fleur and Sora are about to become better acquainted... lets find out how this goes...

Chapter 3- Making a Pact

* * *

Roselin stormed off into the kitchen to make sure Hilda wasn't making eggs. Roselin hated eggs, almost as much as she hated Fleur. But the feeling was mutual. 

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Fleur was trying to figure out where Sora would stay and what he would wear, since the rags he was already wearing were barely sticking to him. They began walking down the hall to the seamstress's quarters. Fleur was going to have him fitted for a new outfit. When she got to the door she turned and got a good look at him for the first time.

His hair was light brown, messily styled, but it looked good the way it was. Through the tears in his clothes she could see that he had either been working out or had been worked very hard. He was taller than her, and about the same age. And the she saw his eyes... they were a brilliant blue, flawlessly bright. She stared into them, and began to lose herself when...

"Fleur... is something wrong?" Sora asked, as if he didn't notice her gazing at him like she was in a trance.

"Uh... no, nothing's wrong... I just thought I recognized you from somewhere..." Fleur answered. She quickly spun around and opened the door to the seamstress's quarters. Once inside, she asked Sora to help her find the seamstress, Yajai. She was a good hard worker, Yajai, but had a bad habit of getting lost amongst her piles of fabric and baskets full of spools and needles. As they dug through the heaps of bright, soft fabrics, Fleur remembered where she had seen Sora before. _My dream! He's the boy from my dream! Then maybe that means he really can help me find my past... the answers to all my questions! Sora... I knew I had to meet you! _She thought to herself excitedly. Just as she stood to begin rummaging in a different pile, she heard Sora speak.

"Umm... I think I found her." He said, sounding unsure.

Fleur turned to where Sora was to see him standing over a woman not much older than the two of them, with very long, black hair tied back with many different colored threads. She was curled up in a tight ball, wrapped in some cotton fabric, fast asleep. Fleur walked over to her and began to shake her gently to wake her up.

"Yajai... Yajai, wake up... I need you to do something... Yajai..." Fleur spoke softly into Yajai's ear. Slowly but surely, Yajai began to stir.

"Miss Fleur! What a pleasant surprise! Although I don't believe you're very pleased to find me sleeping on the job... I am very sorry." Yajai rambled on.

"Yajai, it's fine, really. There was nothing else for you to be doing. But now, I have a job for you. This is Sora, our new helper around the castle. He needs to be fitted for new clothes, as you can see. I'm trusting you with this job, make him some new clothes and call me in when you're done. Sora, I'll leave you here with Yajai. Ring my room if you need anything." With that, Fleur left for her room rather hastily.

Yajai began looking Sora up and down, while he stared at the doorway Fleur left through.

_She has some sort of magnetic quality to her..._ _like I'm drawn to her uncontrollably... Well, I guess I'll be able to take this chance to get to know her. _Sora thought to himself. Before he knew it, there was a large, tree-like stand with colorful fabrics draped over the branches standing in front of him. Yajai stood next to him and spoke.

"The princess told me to give you your choice of our finest fabrics. She has already chosen a style for you. Once you have picked a fabric, I will take measurements and begin making your clothes. Oh, and she said for you to choose more than one, because of course we don't expect you to wear the same thing every day... now get to picking, and I'll go get you some temporary clothing. Back in a moment..." Yajai finally stopped talking and shuffled off. Sora looked again at the tree. He felt the silks and satins and admired the glorious colors. As Yajai was returning, he quickly chose three fabrics. The first was black with stripes of red in random directions. Yajai took it and gave him the temporary outfit.

"Good, lovely choice. Go change over there behind that screen. This should be done in about an hour. If you'd like to see what Fleur is doing, maybe you could accompany her to lunch. Pull that cord over there by the door. She will be down in a moment." Yajai said as she went behind yet another mountain of cloth. Seconds later Sora heard the hum of a sewing machine at work. "Oh and one more thing! Leave the other fabrics you chose on the table over there. See you in an hour!"

Sora put the other fabrics on the table. One was red with black trim. The other was another black fabric with yellow and red designs. He moved over to the door and pulled the cord. The gold tassel danced as he released his grip. He turned around and sat on a wooden chair near the door. Just as Yajai had said, Fleur opened the door moments later. Sora stood and turned towards her. He subconsciously took her hand and kissed it. He took a small bow and stood back up again.

"Afternoon, Fleur. Yajai said that my clothes would take awhile... would you like to go to lunch?" Sora asked her with a confidence he didn't know he had."

"Actually, Sora, I just finished eating my lunch, but I was about to go for a walk in the garden. You could accompany me, if you'd like." She replied sweetly, enjoying the refreshing change of attitude.

"I would enjoy that very much. Lead the way!" Sora answered, excited to spend some time with this beautiful girl. Fleur spun around, and began to stroll gracefully down the hall to the french doors the lead out to the garden. As she swung open the glass doors, a sweet aroma filled the hall. Sora recognized roses above any other scent. As he followed her out into the garden, he saw glorious arrangements of rose bushes lining small fountains, all arranged in a circle around a large fountain in the middle. Fleur led him over to a bench by a river, and they sat and watched the cherry blossoms fall from a tree overhead. He looked over to her as a cherry blossom rested on her hair. He gently raised his hand and brushed it off. She turned, startled at his touch.

"Sorry..." Sora said quickly as he turned away and looked down at the fish in the river. "I didn't mean... I... It won't happen again."

"Um... it's ok, really... so, where did you live before here?" Fleur asked. By the sudden change of expression on Sora's face, she knew she probably shouldn't have asked that question. He looked up at her, a slight trace of sadness in his crystal clear pools of blue. "Is... is there something wrong Sora? I'm sorry... maybe I shouldn't have asked..."

"No, it's okay really... I can talk about it. It was a long way away from here, because the trip took a few days. It was a big castle, like this one... only dark, always dark. Even during the day, we had to carry candles. Sometimes they would give me the small candle, and the wax would burn my hands... but that's not what's important. I worked for a wealthy tyrant. His name was unknown to me, we all just called him Master. It was horrible there... I slept on the floor of a room with no windows. There were two others there with me... they were slaves also. They became my best friends. But they got sold separately from me... Riku... and Kairi... I don't know if I'll ever see them again, but they are what kept me going through the hard times at the Master's castle... But I'm so glad to have gotten out of there anyway. This castle is beautiful, and to be treated so kindly is something I'm not exactly accustomed to. Thank you for... well... everything you've done." Sora stopped talking, but the silence was short. Fleur spoke up.

"Sora, I'm glad I can help... I'm sure you'll meet up with Riku and Kairi again someday. Um... there's something I wanted to bring up with you. I've been thinking about it since I saw you. I recognized you from somewhere, and it wasn't until we met with Yajai in her workroom that I remembered where I had seen you before. See, I had this dream... about a boy who came to me with a key. He used the key to unlock my past, and he helped me answer all my questions about me, my parents, and how I got stuck with Roselin... You see, I never knew my parents. I can only remember as far back as my fourth birthday, when Roselin wouldn't let Hilda make me a chocolate cake... I had to have vanilla, even though I hated it. So I don't even know why I am considered a princess... and Roselin was never any help. You are the boy from my dream, Sora. Your eyes confirm that. I think you can help me, I really want to figure this all out..." Fleur explained.

"Sounds like we could really get along. I feel like I owe you for being so kind... I'll try my best to help you find out about yourself. Whatever I can do, let me know." At this, Fleur's face was graced by an uncontrollable smile. She stood up and stretched.

"Well, maybe we should go check on how your clothes are coming along. Yajai should be done by now." She said, with a relieved tone to her voice.

Without saying a word, Sora agreed by standing up next to her. He took her by the hand, and she felt her cheeks turn pink. She looked up into his blue spheres, and she nearly melted. He gave her hand a playful squeeze and a tug, and she began to walk back to the castle. As she raised her free hand to open the door, she realized that she was holding hands with their new servant. Roselin would kill them both... she quickly released his hand.

"What's wrong?" Sora questioned.

"Roselin... we have to be careful around her. Let's go..." Fleur answered seriously. She swung the door open and walked inside. Sora, understanding what she meant, put a quiet, serious look on his face and followed her to the seamstress's workshop.

* * *

Notes- I hope you guys liked it! I wanted to make a different chapter for when they actually get Sora's first outfit from Yajai. R+R! 

VarekaiSoleil


	4. Fit for a King

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Gomen gomen... I know it took me a long time to put this up. (Gomen is Japanese for sorry) Now let's see... ok Sora's clothes. Here we go...

Chapter 4- Fit for a King

* * *

"Roselin would kill us both if she knew we had any sort of friendship in the slightest. We are going to need to watch ourselves around her." Fleur spoke with no emotion in her voice as they moved through the hall to the see Yajai. "Now then... after you put on these clothes Yajai will begin making you another outfit with the another material you picked. I hope to be pleasantly surprised at your choices."

"I think you will be. I was surprised at what you did for me... telling Yajai to give me my choice of the best. No one has ever given me the best of anything before. It was almost hard to choose." As they approached the door, Sora extended his arm in front if Fleur and took hold of the large golden doorknob. "After you, Fleur." He said in a gentlemanly tone as he opened the door for her. They walked in to the now familiar sight of fabric and sewing machines strewn with thread. Yajai emerged from the back of the room with Sora's garments draped over her arm.

"Just in time! Here you are, fresh from the sewing machine. Try them on over there, where you changed last time. Hope you like them! A seat, Miss Fleur?"

"Lovely, Yajai. Thank you." Fleur sat in the chair Yajai brought to her. She laid her hands in her lap after running her hands down the front of her dress to tidy it up a bit. Sora went behind the curtain with the black outfit.

"So how did it come out?" Fleur questioned Yajai.

"Wonderfully. The fabric he chose turned out magnificently in the style you wanted. And I even added a little something extra..." Yajai added the last part almost boastfully.

"Did you? Well, let's see then..." Fleur turned her attention back to the curtain hiding Sora. Moments later, he came out from his changing room in his new clothing.

"Are you pleased, Fleur?" Yajai asked. Sora looked at Fleur to see what her reaction was.

"Very much so! He looks positively dashing. Robes fit for a king! Turn so I can get a better look." Fleur was amazed by how much better he looked, all from a change of clothes.

His shirt was plain black and fitted. He wore over it a hooded jacket with short sleeves, made of the black cloth with red stripes in random directions. His pants were of the same fabric as the hood, going a little bit past his knees. The shirt was long, coming down a little above his mid-thigh area. He turned as Fleur told him, and she noticed what Yajai had meant by a little something extra. Yajai had embroidered his hood with the Japanese symbols for strength, protection, and love.

"What a wonderful touch, Yajai! So creative and unique. This is a marvelous job you have done! Now, not to skip out on you, but we need to get back upstairs and get Sora settled in his room. I hope Hilda didn't forget to draw him a bath... let's go, Sora. Thank you so much Yajai!" Fleur said as she took Sora's hand and led him out of the room.

"Thanks again, Yajai!" Sora said as he followed Fleur. Once they were out of the room, Fleur turned to get another good look at him.

"So..." Sora said, leaving her to fill in the blanks.

"You look very handsome. A real prince." Fleur said, and she meant it. He did look very princely, she had meant for him to. "Now, let's not waste another moment. It was my job to have you presentable at dinner... let's get you a bath and nice shoes to wear with that dashing outfit." She led him to the top of the stairs, where there was a large sitting area with halls branching off in three directions. "Straight in front of us is the north wing. That's mostly guest rooms and recreational area. To the left is the west wing, consisting of Roselin's rooms and those of the help. And this way is the east wing, my room and your room, along with Yajai's room and each of our own bathrooms. My room is the first on the left, and yours is right beside it. I'll take to there to get settled in. I made sure you got a guest room... you shouldn't have to live like you used to. Let's go in..." Fleur led Sora into a room, fully furnished with wooden pieces of the finest quality. The bed had a red velvet canopy and a fluffy comforter in red and gold with matching pillows. The wood was all dark, and the floors matched it. The walls were painted in a dark red to match the bed sheets. A door on the side led to a bathroom.

And Sora was speechless. This room was as nice as Fleur's. He stepped in slowly. With every movement his jaw dropped a little more in pure amazement. After a few moments of silence, Fleur brought her hand up gently under Sora's chin to close his mouth. "Stare into oblivion later, Sora. We have to get you ready. Dinner is in two hours. When you go in your bathroom, there will be towels and a rack to hang your clothes on. You will wear what you are wearing now to dinner. Don't be surprised by the maids... they are just there to draw you a bath and clean when you're done. They will leave in between. When you're through and ready to come to dinner, knock on my door. I'll be waiting. Oh yes, and ask the maids for anything you need. You're not a servant anymore, you're technically my guard. So you have authority over them. Have a nice bath! See you at seven o'clock sharp." With that, Fleur exited. Sora turned around and looked into his room again. He could get used to this.

Notes-Enjoyed it? I hope so... I've been writing for about and hour and a half and it's 12:45 AM... good night! R+R!

* * *

VarekaiSoleil 


	5. Preparations

Disclaimer- I do not own any characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II (I wish...)

Notes- Ok I know the last chapter kinda rushed through but I was very tired... it's still early in the day now so I have all day to make this a good one! So they will be attending dinner with Roselin and her guard. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5- Preparations

Sora looked around his room in awe. He wished for more time to take it all in, but it was already past six and he was to be at Fleur's door at seven, so he set to work getting ready. He walked over to the door leading into his bathroom... his bathroom! He clutched the cold silver doorknob and turned it slowly. A warm steam poured out and Sora's senses were flooded by the aroma of lavender bath salts. He continued to open the door as the steam rose to the ceiling and his vision became clearer. The bathroom was more like an ancient roman sauna, all in a beige-colored marble with high pillars. There were small pools to the left and right of a larger pool which Sora took to be the main tub. By each of the smaller pools there were ladies in white robes sprinkling in a mixture of what smelled like lavender and sage. The large pool was also accompanied by more women dressed likewise, also sprinkling in bath salts. He noticed off to the left that there was a curtain leading into what he assumed to be his changing room. He walked over to it and pulled aside the linen to pass. Inside there was another small pool, smaller than the others, for him to was his hands and feet in. There was a white robe hanging on a hook on the wall, and towels likewise. Sora hung his clothes on hangers that were on yet another hook. He put on the robe and dipped his feet into the small pool of cool water. He then took a towel and headed back out to the main part of the bathroom. A maid came and took his towel from him, folded it, and set it on a heated metal surface to keep it warm. She led him over to the pool on the right side of the large tub.

"Here is where you will wash your hair. There is shampoo and a hand towel on that shelf there. When you're done with that, proceed to the main bath, where you will find soap and a wash cloth on the ledge. When you are done washing, leave your dirty towels over there, by the pool on the far wall. We will wash them there and hang them again in your changing room. After you have dried off and put you're clothes on, you are free to use any of the cosmetics that are on the shelf by that pillar over there. Ring us when you're done. By the way, my name is Aya. If you need anything, my sister Hari and I will be at your service. Just pull that cord by the door there. Au revoir!" And with that, Aya and Hari stepped out of the room. Sora took a deep breath. He looked at a clock that resembled a sundial.

_6:15..._ he thought to himself. _Woah... this is amazing._

He proceeded with his bath. When he had washed his hair in the first pool, he toweled it somewhat dry and moved on to the next pool. Not until he submerged himself into the hot water did he realize how deep the bath was. It was nearly seven feet deep, completely tiled with small, shimmering blue tiles. He swam about underwater for a few moments. Suddenly, a strange apparition appeared to him under the water. A female water sprite with a scaly green tail and black hair swam around him in circles. He reached out for her, but she jumped out of the water, never coming back in. He stared at the spot in the surface where she left, ripples slowly subsiding. He emerged again, looking around the room for her, but there was not a soul to be found. Swimming over to a ledge to rest, he saw something gleaming at the bottom of the bath. He dove down to investigate, finding a small golden key with the inscription _Arosukir Iriak_ on it. It was strung on a chain. He grasped it tight and swam to the surface again. Once he rose to the top and took a breath, he rested again on the ledge by the side of the tub. He looked again at the key, and then over to the sundial. It was already 6:30, and he needed to be ready soon. He hastily placed the key around his neck with the small chain it was attached to. He pulled himself out of the tub and walked over to his towel laying on the heated table. He dried himself off and wrapped his robe around him. He went back behind the curtain and returned wearing his black and red outfit. He tossed his towels along with his robe over to the designated pool. He tucked the key inside his shirt and exited into his room.

His room felt cold compared to the steam of the sauna, even though there wasn't much more than a slow overhead fan to cool the room. He walked over to the bed and sat, nearly sinking into the soft comforter and pillows. He decided not to sit there and instead chose a cushioned wooden chair by the door. As he rose and turned towards the door, he saw a pair of shoes with a note sitting in the chair beside the one he had chosen to sit in. He still sat down, picking up the shoes and the note and putting them on his lap. Lifting the paper briefly to look at the shoes, he read the note.

_Dear Sora,_

_These are for you to wear so you have shoes to go with you're clothes. I just bought them at the market in town. I hope you like them. See you at dinner!_

_Love,_

_Fleur_

He looked again at the shoes. They were black with a thin red stripe stitched down the middle on the front and on the back behind his ankle. He tried them on- a perfect fit. He rose from the chair and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 6:50. He should be early picking up Fleur so they could chat a bit. He slipped the note into the drawer of his nearby desk and stepped out the door.

As he walked down the hall, he looked out the windows. One side of the hall was all glass, looking out over the garden. The other side was where the doors to each room were. He walked a few yards down the hall, stopping at a door which he knew was Fleur's. He lifted his hand to knock on the door. Before he even formed a fist, he noticed his hands sweating. He sloppily wiped them on his pants and attempted again. This time he succeeded in making contact between his knuckles and the door. He knocked three times, and the door opened seconds later.

Fleur stood there, completely changed. She had a different dress on, and different makeup. Her dress was red now, the upper half resembling a corset. The skirt was bell shaped and came to the floor. There was a large bow in the back, just as there had been on her previous dress. She had on fresh makeup with subtle hints of red that complemented her dress perfectly. Her long brown hair was curled and left hanging down, with the exception of a few locks that were tied back in a red ribbon to keep them out of her face. Despite this effort, one lone curl fell down beside her cheek.

Sora smiled wide.

"You look gorgeous." He said after a short pause.

"Why thank you, Sora! And I see your shoes fit... How wonderful. Now, it's not yet seven o'clock. Would you like to come sit for a few minutes?" Fleur said as she stepped to the side and swayed her arm in a welcoming motion.

"Of course I would." Sora stepped into her room. Hers had the same furnishings as his, only there were some he didn't have and the room itself was larger, with a fireplace burning on one wall. Her color scheme was the same though, gold and red. She ushered him over to a chair by a coffee table, and she sat down in one as well.

"So," she began. "How do you like your room? I knew after hearing your story that you would be a little overwhelmed. I hoped you would enjoy it nonetheless."

"It was marvelous. I feel like a prince. I really appreciate it." He stated gratefully. He moved around in his seat a little, and the gold metal of the key touched his chest. He brought his hand to it and held it close.

"What is it?" Fleur asked in reaction to his sudden odd behavior.

"I found something in my bath. Well actually, someone brought it to me. They dropped it..." He pulled the key out of his shirt and ran his thumb over the inscription.

"A key? That's strange. Who dropped it?" She questioned.

"That's even stranger. A mermaid-like creature with a green tail and black hair was swimming in my bath. When I reached out to her, she swam straight up out of the water. When I emerged to look for her, she was gone. That's when I saw the key sinking to the bottom of the tub."

"Mermaid like? She was probably a water sprite, maybe even a goddess. Let me see it..." She held out her hand to Sora. He dropped the key in her palm, and she pulled it close to her face for a good look. Right away, she noticed the inscription. _Arosukir Iriak... where have I seen this before? _She thought. She looked up at her bookcase and noticed the red leather spine of a book protruding slightly from the rest of the books. She remembered the night before Sora arrived. _So much has happened... I almost forgot about that strange book..._ Just when something was beginning to piece itself together in her mind, the grandfather clock near her window struck seven. "Oh, we need to go! Here, put it back inside your shirt and don't let Roselin see it. We need to hurry down to dinner." Fleur said in a rushed voice as she handed Sora the key and stood to head to the door. He did as he was told and followed her out the door, down the stairs, and through the foyer to the dining room. Before they entered, Fleur turned to speak to him again.

"Now, Roselin is, as you can tell, not one of the most pleasant people to be in the company of. But tonight we have no choice, she has arranged a formal dinner at which she wishes to become acquainted with you. Answer her questions, tell her what she wants to hear. And under no circumstances are you to speak of our friendship. Good luck..." She spoke quietly knowing that Roselin and her guard Sholto were waiting inside. She turned and reached for the doorknob, but stopped herself. "Oh yes... as my guard, you are supposed to open the door for me. She'll notice if I do it myself and we'll both be punished for impropriety." Sora understood and opened the door himself, letting Fleur enter first. He saw Roselin sitting there, with her guard to her right.

"Ahh, the princess and her guard have arrived!" Roselin said loudly in a booming voice.

_Here we go..._ Fleur and Sora thought at the same time.

* * *

Notes- I'm so proud of this chapter! I personally think it's my best yet, but I need to hear it from my readers! R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	6. An Interesting Evening

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Ok it's getting late again but I'm not tired and I really want to get the dinner chapter up. I might not finish tonight, so maybe I could make it a to be continued... we'll see. Enjoy!

Chapter 6- An Interesting Evening Part I

* * *

"Here are the guests of honor! Come, have a seat!" Roselin boomed.

_Here we go..._ Fleur and Sora both thought.

Sholto stood as Fleur entered, escorted by Sora.

"Princess." He addressed her. He bowed deeply. She sighed deeply. Sora and Sholto took short bows to each other.

"Evening, Sholto." She said blandly. She _hated_ being addressed as princess. And the bowing was worse. She would have rolled her eyes and just sat down, but Roselin would have her head. No, Sora had to pull out her chair and bow as well. She hated seeing him act this way even more than being treated as royalty. She knew it wasn't him at all. So she sat, and Sora pushed her chair back in. He then took a seat to her right. The dining table was a rectangle, and Roselin and Fleur sat at opposing ends. It wasn't long, though, so they were within five feet of each other. Fleur could even smell Roselin's revolting perfume.

Moments after Fleur and Sora arrived, Geoffrey entered with cups of tea on a tray. He distributed them to everyone and scuttled back into the kitchen. Sora could smell the wafts of air from the kitchen. His mouth started to water and his stomach growled. He hadn't eaten since he arrived that morning, and he felt as if he could eat a horse. Fleur took notice. But she couldn't stay for dinner. There was no time.

"Roselin, I don't mean to be rude, but we may have to take leave of you a little early." Fleur began. "I have some very important business to attend to." She lied. "A friend of mine is ill. I should like to go see her, but she is leaving tomorrow to seek treatment somewhere else. I have planned on going tonight. We may stay to chat for awhile, but I'm afraid you will have to eat without us. I will see to it that Sora is fed later. Is this okay?" Fleur laid it on thick.

"Hmm... well, I guess we could always have the cooks prepare a meal another night. Sure, go ahead. You may leave at seven forty-five. But be home no later than ten!"

Fleur nodded and began a conversation. They talked for awhile about Sora- Where he had come from, what he did for work there, and how he was enjoying his new home. Roselin seemed quite pleased with him. Luckily, he didn't have to do too much talking, which would put him at risk for suffering Roselin's wrath, lest he say something wrong. So, at approximately 7:45, Fleur stood and motioned for Sora to do the same.

"Now, we must bid you farewell for the night. But we will both be down for breakfast in the morning." Fleur stated. She has been acting like royalty all night, which bothered Sora. He knew Roselin must have a big effect on her to be making her act this way when she hated it so much.

"Alright then," Roselin sighed. "Don't forget, be home by ten. Give your friend my best."

"I most certainly will." Fleur lied again. She knew Roselin's best wasn't very good at all.

Without another word spoken, Sora and Fleur both left. Once outside, Sora spoke up.

"Fleur, I am hungry... why did we have to leave?"

"There's something I need to do, and we don't have time to sit around eating with them. I'll take you to get something to eat while we're out. We have to go to the beach. I'll explain later." She walked hastily up the stairs to gather some things. They went to her room and she turned on a lamp. She took a dagger and some money off of her desk.

"I understand the money, but what's with the dagger?" Sora inquired.

"Protection. We have to travel through downtown Arcadia. A dangerous place, but the only route to the pier. Come, we have to go." Fleur took a coat off the rack. It had a fur lining around the neck and was made of heavy leather.

"Fleur, it's summer..." Sora noticed. She was acting strangely. Without an answer, she pulled a red cord that hung by her door and they left the room. Making their way once again down the stairs, they walked out of the large double doors that led to the gravel walkway in the front of the castle.

A carriage waited, drawn by two black horses. The driver tipped his hat to Fleur, and she nodded shortly in acknowledgment. She climbed in quickly, and Sora followed no far behind. Once inside, Fleur pulled the rope that held the curtains aside and they fell closed. She looked out of the window worriedly.

"I hope I make it..." she mumbled. This puzzled Sora, and he became worried.

"Fleur, what is going on? What's wrong? You're acting strange." Sora said, sounding very worried, which he was.

"I need to get to the water, to the ocean... I won't live much longer if I don't. I feel my strength draining already..."

Sora just turned away and looked out the window. His stomach growled again. He watched the scenery pass by- people of all social classes going in and out of brightly lit storefronts. Beggars on the street corners, commoners with their children. A few minutes passed, and the stores became more and more spaced out, and the people less in number, until there was nothing but mountains and forest visible in the night. Eventually Sora could hear the calls of seagulls, and he smelled the seaweed. The carriage slowed to a stop, and Fleur got out in a hurry. Sora followed her, hoping to find out what was going on. She quickened her pace until she was running, holding her dress up in front of her. Her coat slumped off her shoulders and her hair fell from the ribbon holding it. Sora struggled to keep up. She reached the end of the pier and stopped, breathing heavily. He saw her look to the sky. She let her arms fall to her sides, and her coat slid off slowly, dropping onto the splintery wood of the pier. She stayed in this position with her arms relaxed and her head slumped back. Sora slowed to a walk, seeing that she was okay and she had stopped running. He leaned his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath, keeping and eye on her the whole time. Suddenly, her legs went limp and she fell. She dropped head first off the front of the pier, falling gracefully to the waves below. Sora began to run again, faster than he had ever run before. He reached the end of the pier and looked down, but there was nothing but a splash where she had entered the water.

"Fleur! FLEUR!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. He jumped in after her, diving straight down towards the dark water. He plunged deep into the waves, looking around for her. He saw nothing. He looked down, and he saw her laying on a rock, lifeless. He swam towards her, but before he got down far enough, her eyes shot open. She moved around a little, and eventually swam off. Her dress caught on the rock and ripped from her body, revealing a red tail and a seashell top. She turned to him and motioned for him to follow her. Just then, the symbols on his hood began to pulse. Strength, protection, and love. He felt his legs morph together, forming a tail. His neck sprouted gills, and his clothes came off. Without a second thought about his new form, he swam off after her, a million other things running through his mind.

_What the hell is going on? _He thought.

_Come on... hurry up and follow me!_ She thought impatiently.

_**To be continued...

* * *

**_

Notes- See it coming? Didn't think so. If you did, good job. Part II should be up later today or tomorrow! Reviews please!

-VarekaiSoleil


	7. An Interesting Evening Part 2

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II. (Or in the case of this chapter, Advent Children!)

Notes- Ok, so they are in the water, and she swims off... where is she going? I'm the only one who knows! Ha... read and find out!

* * *

Chapter 7- An Interesting Evening Part II

She swam off and motioned for him to follow. He did so without a second thought. They swam for awhile, Sora in struggling to keep up with her once again. He could tell this was not her first time in this strange form. _Could this somehow be linked to the girl who left me the key? _He pondered the possibilities as they swam quickly, never slowing.

After a few more minutes of swimming, when Sora was finally getting used to his form, they slowed and began descending into the depths of the ocean. The water became cooler and the moonlight struggled to pierce the waves. As it became darker, Sora swam faster, being sure not to lose track of Fleur. After a few more moments of swimming, Sora saw a light radiating from a cave about thirty feet away. No surprise- that was where they were headed. When the reached the entrance, Fleur finally stopped to explain to Sora.

"Sora, as you can see... well, my form is self-explanatory. We are at the entrance to Arcadia. I'm not sure what first compelled me to come here, but for three years now I have been coming here regularly. I need to, I almost died once because I didn't come soon enough... I have friends here, and people who treat me how I want to be treated. The reason you are able to come along is because I truly want you to. Anyone can come if it is wished by another Arcadian. We're going to visit my good friends Aya and Hari first. You may have met them... I believe they were drawing a bath for you. See, the part about wishing for someone to come works both ways. If I want them to come on land, they can. So, I guess that's really all you need to know... Let's get going!" Fleur seemed happier than Sora had ever seen her. He could tell she really love this Arcadia place. He followed her through the glowing cave and the emerged over a gigantic city teeming with the sea dwelling creatures he took to be the Arcadians. This place seemed to be made up of ancient buildings from Roman and Egyptian times that had sunken and settled to form a city. Arcadia was humming with life of all sorts- fish, manatees, and other sea animals of all shapes and sizes mingled playfully with the Arcadians. As he stared at the city in wonder and awe, Fleur made her way down into the hustle and bustle that was her true home. He noticed just in time, and rushed after her before she disappeared into a cluster of the timeless buildings.

As they swam through an empty alleyway into a crowded street, Sora just looked around, soaking it all in. He was under water, swimming through a hidden city! He never imagined anything this amazing happening to him. _I wish Kairi and Riku could see this... _he thought. His thinking was interrupted by Fleur's cheery voice.

"Are you still hungry? We can get something here if you don't mind."

He thought for a minute. Although he was hesitant, considering where he was and what they might eat there, he agreed. "Sure. Whatever is good!"

She smiled and swam over to a vendor selling fruits.

"One bolbus, please." She said politely to the man behind the wooden stand.

"Eight vera, miss." He said in reply. She handed him eight gold coins and took the food.

_Vera must be their currency... interesting..._ Sora thought. He turned his attention to the fruit in Fleur's possession. It was a lumpy sphere with the colors of a sunset.

"When we get to Hari and Aya's house, you can eat this, okay? It's not too far from here. See that big building over there by the fountain relic? That's their house. They live there with Kadaj and Cloud." Fleur spoke of her friends in a bright, happy tone.

Sora thought some more. _Why do they have a fountain...? We're under water... for decoration, maybe? And who are Kadaj and Cloud? Hmm..._

These things bopped about in his mind as he continued to follow Fleur to her friends' house. When they reached the large stone building, Fleur knocked. Moments later, a man answered the door. He had spiky blonde hair and a black tail.

"Fleur! What a surprise!" He turned and faced into the house. "Hey Hari, Aya, Kadaj! Get out here! Fleur is here! And she brought a guest!" He turned back to Fleur and Sora. "How great to see you again. It's been forever. And who is this with you?" He indicated Sora.

"Oh, this is Sora. He's my new guard... Roselin hired him. Sora, this is Cloud. Cloud, Sora." Fleur introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you, Cloud." Sora said as he firmly shook Cloud's hand.

"Likewise," Cloud replied. Just then, a girl with curly, dark blonde hair and a green tail wedged her way up under Cloud's arm, which was leaning on the door frame. Cloud stood up straight and wrapped his arm around the girl.

"Hey Fleur! It's been too long!" The girl said brightly. "Come on in!" She stepped back, moving Cloud with her. Sora and Fleur went into the room. It looked as if it had been furnished by a Roman home or two. The decorations and furniture matched beautifully, giving the whole home a wonderful underwater feel. This made sense, since they _were_ under water.

"Aya! How good to see you! And this is Sora, a new friend of mine. Sora, this is Aya." Fleur introduced him again. Aya shook his hand.

"So nice to meet you!" She said. Then she turned to Fleur and gave her a hug. Seconds later, another couple entered the room.

"Fleur!" A girl with a blue tail and curly brown hair swam up and hugged the other two girls tight in a group hug. "I haven't seen you since... well since you came last month! And I see you've brought a guest! What's your name?"

"I'm Sora. And you are?"

"My name is Hari. This is Kadaj." She pulled the boy closer to her by means of his hand that she had been holding. "We're all good friends of Fleur."

"Nice to meet you, man." Kadaj extended a hand to Sora. He took it and shook it firmly.

"Come have a seat! Cloud and I will fix you something to eat." Aya said. Everyone was speaking in a happy tone, seeing as how their friend was visiting them, which she didn't get to do often. Aya and Cloud made their way into the kitchen, which was open to the living room, so they could all carry on a conversation.

"So Fleur," Hari began. "What are you doing with more guards? Have you been up to no good _again_?" She teased. Aya, Cloud, and Kadaj all gave a knowing chuckle.

"Well, no... but Roselin has been going crazy, more so than usual..."

* * *

Notes- Yay! I felt that Fleur's friends should have boyfriends... so I chose Cloud and Kadaj! Perfect, no? I love them:D Well hope you enjoyed, let me know if you did! (And if you didn't, what I can do to improve!) R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	8. A Getaway for Awhile

Notes- GOMEN GOMEN! I know this took forever... summer school has been taking up all my time! New friends, and a loss of sleep... (class starts at 7am!) I get out at 1:45, but I go home and stuff my face (no lunch at school... unless you're into soggy corn dogs...) and then I'm so full that all I can do is sleep! Then I usually wake up around four... talk to Blake for awhile on the phone, then I go do something with my sister. Writing doesn't get much of a say in my schedule... but class ends on the 31st, so I should be able to update more after that! Sorry for the slow updates...

* * *

Chapter 8- Get Away for Awhile

Fleur and Sora sat with their friends and partook of the snacks provided. They chatted away about many various topics- mostly Sora and their memories of times past. But eventually, the subject turned to Roselin. Fleur's face took on a look as if many different emotionswere all whirling around inside her. Hate, worry, and despair were apparent.

"So she hasn't gotten any better... Fleur, you can live with us, you really should! Leave the witch and all your worries behind. There's no reason for you to stay." Cloud tried to comfort her.

"Cloud, it's not so easy... there are so many unanswered questions about my past, mainly my parents... I could never forgive myself if I were to just give up on all that and forget my past altogether! I need to stay with her awhile longer, I need to find out who I really am..." Sora noticed Fleur's eyes empty of their shimmering happiness and stare off into nothingness. He wrapped his arm around her and held her close, and she began letting out quiet sobs. This was a very sensitive topic for her, and she was easily upset by it. Aya turned and hit Cloud on his chest, not hard, but in a way that said _"Why did you have to upset her?"_ Fleur wouldn't admit it, but it was his statement that there was no reason for her to stay there that made her upset. She would keep quiet though, she would never do or say anything that might make her friends feel bad. Hari leaned over and placed a comforting hand on Fleur's shoulder.

Kadaj sighed heavily. He loved when Fleur visited them, but it always came to tears when they asked about Roselin. _Hmm... _he thought. _I wonder how we can make her feel better... wait a sec... her gift! Aya and Hari bought her a gift! I'm a genius... _He tapped Hari on the shoulder, and she turned and looked at him with a questioning stare. Kadaj whispered a reminder into her ear, and Hari's face lit up with a huge grin. She rose and motioned for Aya to follow, and they made their way up the stairs to their rooms. Fleur looked up at the guys, her eyes doing the asking for her.

"They went to get something for you... they won't be more than a minute." Kadaj reassured her. He smiled, knowing that she would be overjoyed with her present. Cloud looked at Kadaj, his face wearing the same look that Fleur had giventhem moments ago. "Remember, man... the 'surprise'?" Cloud stared for a moment more, and then a smile graced his face. He sat back in his chair and nodded. Kadaj looked up, facing the top of the stairs. Everyone turned and looked to where he was facing. Aya and Hari came back down, Hari holding a small box. They rushed over to Fleur, who sat up from Sora's hold, and looked at them, perplexed.

"Surprise!" The girls shouted as Hari handed her the box. "Go on! Open it!"

Fleur smiled and slowly opened the box. Resting inside was a gorgeous sapphire pendant, an uncut stone with shimmering strips of silver fashioned to look like vines. It hung from a delicate silver chain. Fleur was speechless. She let out a sigh of happiness. She placed the open box on the table next to her and rose to hug her friends. While she wasn't looking, Cloud motioned for Sora to put the necklace around her neck. When she sat back down, Sora reached across her and took hold of the necklace. Heopenedthe clasp, and moved his arm around her neck, reattaching the clasp behind her. She turned around and looked at him, and he smiled brightly. She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Aya and Hari took their seats next to their boyfriends, and Cloud and Kadaj both leaned in to kiss them. After a moment, Fleur had an idea.

"A ball! A grand ball! I will throw one for my birthday! It's in a week, anyway. You can all come! How wonderful will that be?" She cried out in happiness and excitement.

"Oh Fleur!" The girls yelled. They all rose again for another group hug.

"They shouldn't even bother sitting down..." Cloud joked.

"Damn straight." Kadaj replied, and all three of the guys started laughing.

The remainder of the visit was wonderful, but eventually Sora and Fleur had to leave. Hugs were given, and dates were set for the ball.

"I'll come see you before, to make sure you know when to come. I'll miss you guys!" Fleur told them. She and Sora were in the doorway facing in, about to leave. Final hugs, and they were off. Aya, Cloud, Hari, and Kadaj all waved good-bye until the two were out of sight. After they swam through the cave, Fleur led Sora back up to the surface. Before they emerged, she turned around to him.

"Sora... I'm glad you came with me." She moved closer to him, and he put his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest, and there they stayed for a few moments, suspended under the waves in a warm embrace. _This will be my getaway... here, with you... I don't want to leave this feeling..._

After a few moments of listening to his heart beating, Fleur whispered into Sora's ear something strange. "Sora... don't panic... there is nothing wrong, we'll wake in a few moments... I..." At this, her body went limp and she began to sink. Sora looked at her, her body descending, her eyes closed. He tried to move to save her, but he couldn't budge. Darkness flooded his eyes and he began to sink as well. The last thing he saw was the moon through the surface of the water, and then his eyes closed.

When he woke, he was laying on the shore, and Fleur sat up beside him. She was wearing a white robe, and had one for him. When he noticed he was wearing nothing but a small scrap of cloth that washed over him, he blushed a bright pink and took the robe. Fleur put her hair back in a ribbon and stood up. Sora stood up beside her, and they walked to where the carriage had been waiting. They climbed in, and the carriage began moving slowly. As it sped up, Fleur closed her eyes and felt the breeze from the window. Sora sat next to her, her hand in his. This didn't last nearly long enough, as they arrived at the castle only minutes later. They got out, and Fleur took a sack that was resting on the driver's seat of the carriage. They approached the door, and Sora quietly opened it. They rushed upstairs, into Fleur's room. She emptied the sack onto her bed, and their clothes fell out.

"Take your clothes and go back to your room. I'll see you in the morning." She said as she began to fold Sora's clothes. He put his hand over hers and stopped her.

"Why do I have to go...? Can't we stay together just a little longer?" He wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned in his arms and faced him, placing her arms around his neck. They both leaned in, and their lips met in a loving, gentle kiss.

* * *

Notes-Sorry it took so long to update...This chapter took me several hours, mostly because I wrotemy ideas in different segmentsand then pieced together the good onesjust now. Plus time spent editing, and all this only happens whenI get a fewfree minutes...Hope you like! Is everyone else as happy as I am that they got together? I've been itching to make it happen. R+R! Reviews keep me going!

-VarekaiSoleil


	9. Return to Reality

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- This is taking a long time... actually, when I first tried to upload this chapter to the website, there was an error and I couldn't upload. I'm not sure how to fix it, so I don't know when I will be able to actually post this. For the records, I just finished this on Tuesday, didn't have time to upload, and now it's Wednesday night and it won't upload, so I'm hoping to have it up by tomorrow... I had to change the opening notes as a last minute thing. Anyway... Enjoy!

(Just got it uploaded, it's Friday night)

* * *

Chapter 9 - Return to Reality

Fleur and Sora stood holding each other in her room for several blissful moments. Suddenly, a loud knock on the door startled them both, and Roselin's voice followed.

"Fleur! FLEUR! You better be in there! I'm coming in, you better be in bed!" Roselin screamed as she banged on the door.

"No... no! This is bad... Sora, this is bad! We have no time... Come here, now! Hurry!" Fleur whispered to him frantically as she pulled him hard by the arm. She rushed over to the bookcase, and pulled on the book with the red velvet cover. The bookcase slid open and she pushed Sora inside. Before the passage opened completely, she pushed the book back into place and it closed again. She threw off her robe and slid on her nightgown. She hastily pushed their clothes under her bed and fixed the bed to give it a slept-in look. Just as she rubbed her eyes to make them look sleepy, Roselin swung the door open.

"Ros... Roselin? What's the matter? Is... is something wrong?" Fleur stuttered, acting tired and groggy.

"Hmm... I thought so... but I guess not. I heard some noises in the library again... I thought maybe you were up to something. Now that I think of it, I did leave the window open... probably just the wind. You're lucky it wasn't you... you're at the end of your lifeline, girl. Don't slip up again." Roselin seemed to talk to herself a bit. Fleur swallowed hard at Roselin's threat, and Roselin saw this. Without a word, she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

All this time, Sora was standing behind the bookcase, listening. He heard the door slam. Seconds later, he heard the sound of Fleur slumping to the ground, followed by quiet sobs. He tapped on the wall to remind her that he was there. She silenced for a moment, and then stood and walked to the bookcase. She pulled the book, releasing Sora from the dark hall. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She began to cry openly, wetting his robe with her tears. He comforted her with his warm, gentle hold. As her crying stopped, he picked her up and laid her down on her bed.

"Fleur... don't worry anymore. I'll be here to help you. I'll never leave your side, and I will never let that witch lay a finger on you. Trust in me, Fleur... I won't let you down." He whispered into her ear. He kissed her on the forehead and took his clothes out from where they were hiding under the bed. After he dressed behind her screen, he took his leave of the now sleeping girl. He cautiously surveyed the hall, then sneaking out and quickly back in to his own room. He threw his robe on the floor and dropped onto his bed. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the salt from the ocean. This made him decide to take a bath. He rose from the bed and moved over to the bathroom door, pulling the gold cord that summoned the girls to draw him a bath. Just then, he remembered that the names of the girls he first met in his bathroom were Aya and Hari, Fleur's friends. Just as he realized this, the door opened, and there they were, already running the bath water.

"Hi, Sora! Good to see you again! Come on in!" Aya said.

_Why... would Fleur have her friends work here for me? _Sora thought.

"Welcome back!" Hari motioned for him to enter, and he did so. "You know the drill. You're dressing room is over there, and we'll get everything ready. Enjoy your bath!" She smiled.

Sora undressed behind the curtain, and Aya and Hari put the salts in his bath. He took a nice, hot, long bath and dressed in a warm night robe that was left for him by the girls. It was a soft, fluffy material and he slept well in it. As he dosed off, he thought of Fleur. Had he not stayed those few precious moments, she would have been left to cry alone. He would have gone to sleep in a peaceful state of mind while she cried herself into a lonely slumber. He sighed in relief, knowing that he had been there for her, and she hadn't cried alone. Then his thoughts slipped into a dreaming state and he slept.

— _Sora's Dream —_

**_A girl sits alone, looking into the river. She pokes at the koi, the sun shining off her warm brown hair. She turns from the rippling waters and picks up a book. She had begun to read, when a woman, tall and stocky, came up to her, looking positively livid. She smacked the book from the girl's hands, sending it flying into the river. She grabbed the girl by the shoulder one-handed, lifting her nearly a foot off the ground. The girl winced in pain from the woman's tight grip. The woman screamed unknown words at the girl, making the girl cry heavily. The woman stopped yelling for a few moments, then smacked the girl hard across the face. She released her grip, and the girl fell limply to the ground. The woman stomped off, satisfied with the "discipline" issued. The girl somewhat regained composure, pushing herself off the ground and sitting up. She wiped the dirt and tears from her face and glanced over at the river. The book was floating downstream. She turned and crawled over the riverbank_**, **_grabbing the book. She held it tight, close to her heart. The wet pages soaked her dress, and her tears did the same. Just then, she lost consciousness and fell into the river, sinking gracefully to the bottom with her eyes still closed. Then the sound of a familiar voice, calling out to the girl..._**

Sora shot up from his bed, sweat dripping from his forehead, breathing heavily. He tossed off his blankets and threw his legs over the side of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He stood up and dropped his robe. He walked to the bathroom in his boxers and opened the door slowly, his head still hanging. He made his way over to the sink and splashed cold water in his face. He put one hand on each side of the sink, propping himself up. Then he remembered something... the bookcase! _Why... where does that passageway lead to? And why does she have it...?_ He wondered. He perked up a bit and went back out into his room. He went over to the desk by the window and pulled out a piece of paper and an quill pen. He wrote himself a note:

_Ask Fleur about the passageway in her room_

_Behind the bookcase_

_Also, figure out what that key unlocks_

He folded up the note and put it in the pocket of his pants, then tossing them back on the floor. He heard a chiming sound when they hit the floor, remembering that they key was in his shirt. He decided to put it in a better spot, to keep it safe, so opened the bottom drawer of his armoire and tucked it under a pile of clean bed linens. He immediately felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over him. Slumping over, he dropped himself back onto the bed. Then he covered himself with the warm blankets, and fell asleep shortly thereafter.

* * *

Notes- Poor Fleur! Bad, bad me... :) If you're feeling bad for Fleur, I can promise that it will get better. She has Sora, remember? R+R! Reviews make me update faster, because I know there are people who want to read what happens next! Till next time, sayonara!

-VarekaiSoleil


	10. Rendezvous

Disclaimer-I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- It's raining like crazy... well it's slowing now, but it's still raining. I decided to write another chapter... mind you, at the time I am writing this, I still haven't posted chapter nine, because I still can't upload. So, without further ado, the milestone tenth chapter:)

(Update- Chapter nine was posted yesterday, the 24th)

* * *

Chapter 10- Rendezvous

The sound of raindrops hitting the windowpane reached her ears. She stirred, sitting up and looking out at the diluted rays of sunlight that shone from behind the clouds. She sighed deeply and flopped back onto her bed. She thought of him.

_Sora... you make me feel safe... feel loved... I am eternally grateful for you coming into my life. You saved me.

* * *

_

Sora was woken by the rain as well. He stood up and stretched, reaching for his robe. He wrapped himself up in the soft material and went into the bathroom. As he splashed cold water in his face, he thought of her.

_It is my... what's the word... calling. I must stay with her and protect her for as long as I can. She needs my love. Fleur, I will forever be by your side._

He rinsed out his mouth and went back to his room. He took his clothes off the floor and put them on, feeling the absence of the key. At this, he went over to his desk and took the key out of the drawer, placing it back around his neck. He tucked it into his shirt and walked into the hall.

* * *

Fleur finally pulled herself out of bed. She blinked a few times and rubbed the corners of her eyes. She tied her hair up in a messy ribbon for a temporary hold. She went behind her screen and changed into a blue dress. This was a lighter, more summery dress. It was to her knees, the torso was fitted while everything below the waistline was flowing. It was a light blue with lace accents around the strapless top. She slipped on some plain brown sandals and sat at her vanity, taking her hair back down. She brushed it a bit and then returned it to its ribbon, leaving it in a simple ponytail. She stood and walked into the hall.

* * *

And there they met. As they both exited their rooms at the same time, the rain immediately stopped and the sunlight pierced through the glass on the other side of the hall. He watched as the rays made her skin shimmer. She watched as they danced through his perfectly messy hair. The birds began chirping. For what could have been forever, they gazed at each other. Then, finally, he spoke.

"Good morning, Fleur." He stated, sounding so much like a gentleman.

"Good morning, Sora." She said back. Another silence, and things became awkward.

"Did you sleep well last night?" He asked, knowing that she may not have. She refused to answer. Instead, she began crying lightly again. In one swift motion, he closed the five foot gap between them and took her in his arms. She buried her head in his chest and clutched his shirt in her fists. He continued to hold her close, stroking her hair to calm her. Her tears stopped after not long, and no more words were spoken. They descended the stairs to the foyer, then into the dining room. Hilda was there, wiping off the table from Roselin's meal.

"Can I get you two some breakfast?" Hilda asked in her warm old voice.

"That would be lovely, Hilda. I'll just have some tea, but Sora might be hungry. Do you want something, Sora?"

He thought. Sure he was hungry, but he could decide what it was he wanted. He nodded to Fleur, and she could tell he was thinking.

"How about some toast and eggs? Sound good?" She suggested.

"Sounds great!" He said to them both.

"Sure thing." Hilda scuttled out of the dining room and into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with two cups of tea and Sora's meal. Fleur sipped her tea while Sora ate his breakfast, and then they both went out into the garden again. Once there, Fleur sat down under a tree and motioned for Sora to sit with her. He did so, and they sat silent for a few minutes, before Sora once again broke the silence.

"Fleur... what is that place you hid me in last night? Some sort of secret hallway or something?" He asked her, being very straight forward and to-the-point

"Oh... that... Well, see... I'm not allowed in the library. Roselin thinks that if I get tooclever, I may try to escape her... so she tries to keep me out of there. But her guard agreed to build me a secret passage if I promised I wouldn't try anything sneaky, so we made a deal. After all, I only want to use it to try and find out about my parents. That's all, really. So, what you saw was the entrance to the passageway from my room. I go there a lot at night. So... does that answer your question?" She ended her long explanation.

"Yeah, it does..." Sora paused. He wasn'tone bit surprised that Fleur had something like a secret passage in her room. "Can I see it? I would like to go to the library."

"Okay. Next time I go, I'll knock on your door four times, then pause, then two more times. Then just come to my room when you're ready, ok? Oh... and bring the key you found the other day. I think I know what it might unlock." She smiled. A leaf fell from the tree they were under. She picked it up and turned it in her fingers, admiring its red-orange color. "It's almost fall. We should get you some warmer clothes made... Yajai should be able to help us."

Sora smiled at his memories of his previous visit to the seamstress. He would probably have to dig through the mountains of fabric to get to her, only to find her sleeping again. He chuckled, thinking of what pleasantly odd dispositions the people in the castle had, besides Roselin. He had met Roselin's guard, Sholto, the seamstress, Yajai, the cook whose name he still didn't know, Aya and Hari, Fleur's friends, and Hilda, Fleur's other servant. For the first time, he realized how much he did like it at the castle, despite Roselin's black cloud that seemed to hover over everything when she was around. He chuckled one moreand looked up at the sky. Fleur yawned, then stood up and stretched.

"Let's go see Yajai. We need to pick out the fabrics for your fall and winter clothes." Fleur told him. Then she paused. "Wait... stand up." He stood. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands." He did so. She issued further instructions. "I'm going to give you something. Don't open your eyes until I say so. And don't follow me, okay?" Sora nodded. Fleur placed a slip of paper in his cupped hands and ran off. Seconds later, she reached the double doors back into the castle. Before she closed them behind her, she called back to him.

"Open your eyes and read it!" She yelled. Then she closed the doors, running up the stairs and back into her room. Sora opened his eyes and unfolded the paper. He read it to himself.

_Meet me in the garden tomorrow afternoon, 1:00_

_I'll bring the food, you just need to show up_

He refolded the paper and looked up. Instructions for a rendezvous.

* * *

Notes- I enjoyed writing this chapter. I think Sora and Fleur become much closer through Fleur's suffering, although I hate to make her suffer... but it makes for a good story.And don't worry, things will eventually get better for them both. When? Not even I know that. R+R! I love reviewers!

-VarekaiSoleil


	11. Picnic Under the Trees

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Finishing the tenth chapter feels good. Not that anything big happened in it, but it's kinda like a milestone, for any writer, really... So, this chapter, there are a few things going on... their picnic, a visit to Yajai... This chapter is pretty full, I think. Now im rambling... read on! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11- Picnic Under the Trees

The next morning went by quickly. Fleur put on about five different dresses, trying to choose what to wear for the picnic. Sora found himself pacing back and fourth, turning the key in his fingers. At about 12:45, Fleur was ready. She made her way down to the kitchen to get the picnic basket. She had chosen a white dress with green details. It came down just below her knees and was strapless. It had the corset-like top similar to that of most of her dresses. The skirt was bell-shaped, and the whole thing was white, save the green ties and lace on the torso. She wore her hair half-down half-up with a green ribbon and plain white sandals.

She met Hilda in the kitchen. Hilda gave her the basket and a pitcher of iced tea. Fleur then left in a rush, sneaking out to the garden, trying not to let Sora see her. She made it outside and over to the oak where she had left him the day before. She sat waiting for a few moments. Then, just as the bell tower struck two, Sora came outside from the foyer doors. He looked around for a moment, spotted her, and ran over to the tree. She was standing with the basket held in front of her with both hands, the pitcher resting on a red blanket on the ground. As he approached, she smiled wide. Seeing this, he returned the gesture.

"Hi, Sora!" She said in a cheerful voice.

"Good afternoon, Fleur! This looks great." He told her. She nodded and kneeled down on the ground, opening the basket and spreading out their meal. Hilda had made them sandwiches and sliced vegetables. He sat down next to her and poured them both a glass of iced tea.

Their picnic lasted for a couple short hours. They conversed about happier times and friends held dear. They talked about a date for Fleur's sixteenth birthday ball. But eventually, Fleur knew Roselin would arrive home from town, and they shouldn't be seen together like they were. At about 3:00, Sora helped Fleur pack up the remainder of their meal and take everything back inside. They returned everything to the kitchen, then stopped in the foyer.

"I had a wonderful afternoon, Sora. Thank you for spending it with me." She said almost shyly. Her glorious smile graced her face.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." He told her. Even such a classic line, when spoken so sincerely, made her feel so loved she could melt.

"We should go see Yajai now. This is a good time of day to see her, she's probably still awake from lunch.

"Let's go, then. We'll have to get digging, the sooner the better!" He joked. She giggled at this and began walking down the hall. He followed her loyally. Keeping a quick pace, they reached the door to the seamstress' quarters shortly. Fleur knocked twice and opened the door, sticking her head in first.

"Yajai...? You in here?" She called out for the woman. No answer. Fleur opened the door the rest of the way and they both walked in.

"Yajai? Answer if you can hear us..." Sora called. Suddenly, one of the piles of fabric shifted slightly and they heard Yajai moan. Fleur gave a knowing smile and walked over to the pile in question. After throwing aside a few layers of fabric, she found Yajai, just waking from her afternoon nap.

"Morning, sunshine!" Fleur joked with her. The woman pushed a few long, black strands of hair from her face and looked up at Fleur.

"My dear! Let me guess... you are here for fall and winter clothes, am I correct? For the boy?" Yajai guessed as she stood and straightened her skirt. She took two chopsticks off her table and put her hair up with them. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and looked Sora up and down. "I have the perfect fabric for a winter outfit for you! I just bought it yesterday at the market in town. Come, come see..." She said to them both. Before they could reply, she had shuffled off into the mountains of color. Fleur quickly followed, knowing they could easily lose her again. Sora ran off after them.

Soon, they came to a stop. Neither Fleur nor Sora could tell where they were in relation to where they had entered from. They turned to Yajai and saw a pair of legs jutting out from a particularly large pile, kicking wildly. Sora began laughing hard as Fleur grabbed her by the ankles and yanked her out of the fabric. Yajai was breathing heavily and her hair had become a mess. She ran a hand through it and pushed her glasses back up on her nose.

"Here, here it is! What do you think? Wonderful, is it not?" Yajai handed the fabric to Sora. Fleur took the other end of it and they both stood, just stroking it.

"It's gorgeous!" Fleur was the first to speak. Sora just stood speechless. The fabric was red with gold details of dragons twirled around cherry blossom branches.

"I thought you would like it. I was thinking something similar to what we did last time, but the coat would be double layered with long sleeves. The shirt under would be black, and the pants black with a stripe of this fabric. I was thinking something heavy for the pants with lots of pockets. What do you think?" Yajai described her ideas to them.

"It sounds perfect! Just what I pictured!" Fleur exclaimed cheerfully.

"I love it already!" Sora smiled big.

"Then it's decided! I'll go to work now! It won't take more than a few hours. Why don't you two go get him some new shoes, boots maybe? Something to match!" Yajai suggested.

"What a great idea! We'll go now!" Fleur took Sora's hand and ran off in the direction they had come from. Before they were out of sight, she managed to turn and call out a "thank you" to Yajai, who smiled and got to work immediately.

Once outside the room, Fleur turned to Sora.

"That outfit will look stunning on you. I can't wait to see it! C'mon, let's go upstairs for a minute. I need to get some money and ring the driver." She explained. He smiled and nodded, and up the stairs they went. They made their way to Fleur's room, where she picked up her money and a coat and pulled the cord to summon the driver. Then they went back downstairs and out the front doors to where the carriage was waiting. She hopped into the carriage, and he followed.

"Where to?" The driver asked.

"Into town, to the market, please." Fleur answered.

* * *

Notes- I can't wait to put those clothes on Sora. I do plan on making a few changes to the overall design, but I'm sure I won't disappoint you all. Now, his shoes... R+R! Any ideas for his outfit are warmly welcome!

-VarekaiSoleil


	12. Into Town

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- This may be one of the biggest GOMEN GOMEN author's notes sections yet. I'm so extremely sorry for not updating in about 11 days, butI had no control over the situation.First of all, I went with my family to Washington D.C. for 10 days and I just got back this afternoon. There was no access to a computer or internetwhere we stayed.Secondly, my internet is acting up again. As I write this, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post. Soon, hopefully. So, let's get this ball rolling...

* * *

Chapter 12-Into Town

"Into town, to the market, please." Fleur replied to the driver. Slowly but surely, the carriage began to move down the gravel road. They drove for about fifteen minutes, then reaching the town square. From there, Fleur issued more directions to the driver.

"Smithson's Shoemakers, please." She said in a very polite tone. The driver turned the carriage to the left and drove down a narrow road of shops, stopping at one with a giant shoe-shaped sign labeled _Smithson's._

"Here we are! Come on, Sora. They're sure to have a perfect pair of boots for you here!" She said excitedly. He noticed a big difference in her attitude, just from being outside of the castle walls. He followed her into the store.

As they opened the door, a bell rang to alert the owners of a customer. The entire store smelled like leather, and Sora could see shoes of every size, shape, color, and style lining all the walls. There were some chairs and stools for trying on shoes, and a rack of polish and polishing cloths.

"Mr. Smithson? Are you in here?" Fleur called. She looked around the wall of shelves to see Mrs. Smithson, rummaging through some leather scraps. At the sound of Fleur's voice, the old woman jolted up from her bent-over position and smiled widely.

"Fleur! How nice to see you again! And who is this?" She said, indicating Sora.

"I'm Sora, Fleur's bodyguard." He answered firmly.

"Sora, so nice to meet you! Mr. Smithson is out right now, but I can help. What can I do for you?"

"We're here to get some winter boots for Sora, preferably black ones. What's the best pair you've got?" Fleur said.

"Ahh, I see..." Mrs. Smithson said with a growing smile. "Come with me. We just got some new ones in yesterday, I think they'll suit you fine. They're in the back room." She turned and began walking towards the back of the store, to a door labeled "Do Not Enter." Fleur and Sora followed, still looking around at all the different shoes they had on display. When they reached the back room, Mrs. Smithson turned around to them and spoke softly.

"Don't you tell Mr. Smithson I brought you back here. Even a wonderful customer like you isn't allowed, but I'll make an exception this once." She turned back around and opened the door.

Inside was piles and piles of papers. They were stacked several feet high on the floor and on a desk. They were falling off of shelves in old worn files folders. Some were even stuck in the window sill, which was caked with dust. In the back corner of the room, there were 3 boxes, freshly opened up. Inside the boxes were boots, lots of black boots. Mrs. Smithson opened a box and pulled out a single boot.

"What do you think of these?" She held it up proudly.

"They're perfect. Absolutely flawless." Fleur answered. Sora took the boot and smiled, looking it over. It was all black leather, knee high. They had laces all the way up the sides that were then covered by a zipper. The top was trimmed with fur, also black.

"These are the nicest boots I have ever seen... for me?" He was obviously very surprised at this.

"Of course. Only the best." Fleur replied with a smile. Sora was still not used to being treated so nicely.

Fleur and Mrs. Smithson chatted a bit more, and then Fleur paid and she and Sora left. Just as they arrived home, Fleur said that they were going to go see Yajai again.

"She should be done by now. Bring your boots and you can try it all on together. Let's hurry, or she might fall asleep!" Fleur ran off in the direction of the seamstress's room. Sora grabbed the box with his boots in it and ran off after her. Their arrival was becoming routine: They entered, found Yajai sleeping, and were rushed into doing whatever Yajai thought they were there to do.

"You came back just in time! I finished the boy's clothes about an hour ago. Come, come see!" She shuffled off, just as she always did, and returned with a heap of black and red cloth. "Try them on!" She shoved the clothes at Sora and pushed him towards the dressing room. She and Fleur sat waiting outside for several minutes, until Sora returned.

Fleur was speechless once again.

Sora's coat was black on the outside, but the entire inner lining was made of the red fabric with the dragons and cherry blossoms. The inside of the hood was also red fabric. His shirt was just plain black and fitted. His pants were black cargo pants, and two of his pockets were made with the red fabric. The bottom of the right pants leg had the embroidered symbols of strength, protection, and love. He turned slowly, smiling at Fleur. After a few moments, she found words to speak.

"It's magnificent. You look like a prince! I couldn't be more pleased. What do you think, Sora?" She spoke warmly.

"I love it, too. And I _feel_ like a prince. Thank you so much, Yajai!"

"No problem, any time you need it. Come back soon!" She called as Fleur and Sora left, waving to her as they exited. Once outside, Fleur walked silently for a few steps, then turning around. She stopped Sora with a hand on his chest and looked down.

"Sora... When I said you looked like a prince, I meant it. And you really do. You are a prince... _my_ prince." She looked up at him. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. They both leaned in and met in a passionate, warm kiss. He stroked her hair as she clutched the collar of his coat. They both felt a sense of serenity and peace come over them. Seconds later, though, this was broken by the sound of shoes clacking down the hall. Fleur jumped, pulling away from the kiss. She held her breath listened hard. The steps grew louder, so she pulled away from Sora's hold and grabbed him by the arm, taking him upstairs. She ran fast, her breathing quick and quiet. As she reached the top of the stair case, she ground to a halt and immediately released Sora's arm. Roselin stood towering over them.

"Where's the fire?" She said softly. "And why were you holding on to him? He is supposed to be strictly restricted in contact with you. Merely another guard, he is."

Fleur's voice shook as she replied in a timid tone. "I... I was hurrying to get my bath before dinner... I was trying to help him keep up with me. He was having trouble get-"

"Stop with the excuses! I don't care anymore. Continue with your useless lives, but don't let me catch you horsing around anymore!" Roselin screamed into Fleur's face, leaving Fleur cowering. Sora was just standing a few feet back, wanting more than anything to hold Fleur and comfort her. Roselin stomped off, leaving Fleur and Sora in the hall.

"Sora... we have to be more careful now that she has returned from her trip." Fleur spoke in a quiet monotone. "We can't be so casual about things like this anymore. I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize... it's alright. Let's get you to bed, it's getting late. Sora walked next to her, making sure the coast was clear before putting his arm around her. They reached her room, and he opened the door for her. He was going to stay behind, but she beckoned for him to follow as she entered. As her walking slowed, he scooped her up in his arms and laid her down on her bed. He locked the door, then returning to her bedside.

"Get some rest. You need to rest before tomorrow. We're planning your party, remember? And we have to go tell your friends. Good night." He whispered. He kissed her forehead, then standing up straight. She looked up at him and smiled. As he turned to leave, she took hold of the back of his coat.

"Don't..." She said softly. He turned back around. She grabbed the edges of his coat a pulled him down towards her. She wrapped her arms around him and rolled over, pulling him onto the bed with her. She kissed him again, wishing for him to stay there with her. "Don't... go..." She repeated.

"We both know I can't stay. It's just cruel to ask me to. I hate to say no... but it's dangerous for both of us. I... I love you, Fleur." He kissed her gently and rose from the bed. She said nothing more as he walked to the door, leaving quietly. As he shut the door, she uttered a repsonse.

"I love you, too..." She murmured. Her eyes slowly shut and she drifted off.

* * *

Notes- Ok so I have been gone for awhile, but I really hope this chapter pleases all my readers as much as it pleases me. I personally love his outfit. And they finally said it... they said I love you! Yay... Well, R+R! I want to make sure you didn't give up on me... love to all my readers!

-VarekaiSoleil

P.S.- I just realized that some of you may not know what gomen means... "Gomen" is Japanese for "Sorry." I hope no one was too confused... and if you knew what it meant already, then go you!


	13. Back to Arcadia

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- This chapter will be on a lighter note. Fleur's friends come back into the picture. So, let's begin...

* * *

Chapter 13- Back to Arcadia

The next morning was as if from a fairy tale. Roselin wentout oftown for two days, so Fleur was given temporary freedom. She slept in and took her time getting ready for her day. She wore a light dress, because she knew they were going to Arcadia that afternoon. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she didn't wear makeup.

Sora slept in as well and had breakfast in his room. He didn't wear his new clothes, because it was an unusually warm day. Sometime in the early afternoon, he received a message that Fleur had sent to his room.

_Meet me in the foyer in twenty minutes_

_We're going back to Arcadia_

_-Fleur_

He pulled the message off his door and strolled into his room. He relaxed for a minute on his bed, then got ready to go. This didn't take too long, since all he had to do was bring a towel and a robe. After gathering his things, he made his way down to the foyer and met Fleur there. She was wearing a white dress with a sheer robe over it. She carried a sack with her towel and robe inside.

"C'mon!" She said cheerfully. "The driver is waiting!"

"After you!" Sora motioned for her to go ahead of him. They walked out into the warm sun and climbed into the carriage.

"To the pier." Fleur ordered the driver. As they slowly started moving, Fleur closed her eyes and silently felt the wind in her hair. Sora watched her lovingly. They stayed at this moment in time for what seemed like forever, but eventually they arrived at the pier. Fleur jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the end of the pier. Half way there, she called back to Sora.

"Come on, slowpoke! No time to lose!" She laughed as she turned back around and ran faster. He smiled at her happiness and ran after her. When they were both at the end of the pier, they left their things in a pile and joined hands.

"Ready?" She said.

"Lead the way!" He smiled at her. She smiled back and they both dove in, holding hands until they hit the water. They both sunk straight to the bottom and lost consciousness, just like the previous time. When Sora awoke, he had grown back his tail and Fleur was resting on a rock, having already woken minutes earlier.

"Hmm..." She giggled. "It'll take awhile, but you'll get used to it. Anyway, we wasted almost ten minutes already. Let's get going!" She joked with him a bit and swam off. He loyally followed her, this time by her side the entire time. After swimming for awhile, they finally arrived at Arcadia and headed strait to Aya and Hari's house. When they got there, they were greeted with the same warm, loving hugs that met them the first time. They were invited in and took a seat.

"Fleur! Welcome back!" Aya hugged her tight.

"We missed you!" Hari joined in the group hug.

"And Sora! Good to see you again!" Hari commented.

"Aya, where are the boys?" Fleur asked her. Hari smirked and giggled.

"They're fixing a hole in the wall of our room. The currents have been driving me crazy when I'm trying to sleep and Cloud complains that it pushes his blankets off of him." Aya answered, nudging Hari to make her stop laughing. "So I made him fix it... and Hari made Kadaj help...it's not funny, Hari! Well... maybe it is... but don't make fun!"

"Sorry... sorry. It's just..." She giggled more and then stopped herself with a deep breath. Aya sighed and brought their guests some sliced jinji fruit. Sora took a bite and ended up eating all of it.

"So..." Hair began as she watched Sora devour the food. "When is your party? I know your birthday is in four days... are you excited?"

"I'm happy you are all going to be there! The party will be on my birthday, in four days. So you can all come, right?"

"Sure can." Cloud said in his cool tone of voice. He was wiping his hands on his lap and coming to sit with everyone else. Kadaj followed, rubbing his head.

"Hey guys!" Fleur smiled. "Hey Kadaj... what happened?"

"Kadaj the Genius hit his head on the bottom of the table we were working under. Smooth move, buddy." Cloud laughed. Kadaj laughed sarcastically and sat down next to Hari, putting his arm around her. She leaned in to him and smiled. Cloud sat down and patted the seat next to him. Aya moved over and he pulled her close.

Fleur and Sora ended up staying a lot longer than usual, because there was no rush to get home and hide from Roselin. They stayed until sunset, but they had to depart before dark.

"See you at the party!" Hari called after them as they swam away. The four of them waved until Fleur and Sora were out of sight again. They swam for about twenty minutes until they nearly reached the surface. Sora, determined to get home and go to bed, was swimming with such determination that he nearly didn't realize that Fleur had stopped. He turned a few feet in front of her and saw her being still, staring up into the sky. He swam up to her, then followed her gaze and saw what she was staring at.

The sunset was a deep red and peach and lit the entire surface of the ocean. The ripples made the rays dance on the ocean floor. Sora put his arm around her and they both gazed at the beauty of it. When it started to darken more, Sora kissed her. Out of nowhere, he just kissed her. And all his love for her came out in this one kiss. More passionate and loving than ever before, all his feelings that had been hidden were shown to the world as they shared their bliss. And while they were still locked in their warm embrace, they simultaneously fell unconscious and washed ashore. They awoke holding each other, lying on the sand. The sun was almost completely hidden by now. Fleur was the first to get up. She pulled herself from Sora, only because she knew they had to be back by morning. He groaned and slowly followed her like he always did. Without another word said, they got in the carriage and went home. Sora walked Fleur to her room. They stayed in her room, holding each other silently for nearly an hour. She eventually laid down on her bed, and he followed. When she pulled up the blankets, he did the same. The held each other and shared their warmth, and slowly both drifted off peacefully, never letting go.

* * *

Notes-YAAAWWNNN... Yea... It's definitely 1:30 am... so, I hope you liked it and yadda yadda yadda... please R+R, I need some input from you guys. Well, I'm going to bed now. I hope this chapter didn't seem too rushed... well actually I'll admit even I think it is, but I hope that you're satisfied as far as it being a much lighter chapter. I wanted Roselin to leave for awhile. Good night all! 


	14. She's Back

Disclaimer-I don't own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes-Wow... that last chapter brought more readers than usual. From the time I posted at around 1am to 12 noon today I got about 60 hits. Thanks to all who read! I hope you enjoy it! One to chapter 14...

* * *

Chapter 14-She's Back

The two days when Roselin was gone were bliss for Fleur and Sora. They were free to love each other and had no one to hide it from. But, all good things must come to an end, and Roselin returned early in the morning on the third day.

"Hello all!" She declared. "Miss me no longer! I am back!" She really thought they missed her.

Fleur was still sleeping and Sora was showering when she arrived. Roselin immediately awoke Fleur, banging on her door and ordering her downstairs.

"Fleur! I'm back! Come greet me properly in the foyer!" She yelled. Fleur rolled over in her bed and groaned. She could hear her shower running.

_Oh no! Sora is in my shower! What... what will I do? We've really done it this time... She'll catch us for sure!_ She panicked. She ran to her bathroom door and knocked several times.

"Sora... Sora!" She called to him. "Roselin is back! We need to get you to your room, hurry! She'll catch us!"

Sora stood still in the shower, soap running down his face from his hair. He immediately rinsed out his hair and threw on a towel, running out the door.

"I'm so sorry!" He apologized.

"There's no time for sorry! We have to get you to your room now!" Fleur grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door. Just as she opened it to hurry him to his room, she stopped dead in her tracks.

And there stood Roselin, arms folded, face red with lividity. She glared at the boy in nothing but a towel.

"YOU! YOU USELESS BRAT!" She screamed, indicating Sora. "AND YOU! YOU LITTLE SLUT! SLEEPING WITH THE HELP!" Fleur shook and Sora stood, unable to move at all. "I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING ON!" Fleur had never seen her this mad before. Her heart sank and her knees grew weak. "Say goodbye! This is the LAST time you will see him!" Roselin's volume dropped, but she was still furious. She grabbed Fleur by the arm, nearly crushing her bones in her grip. She stormed off down the hall, literally dragging Fleur behind her. Sora instinctively chased after her.

"You let her go!" He screamed, lunging at Roselin, who turned and grabbed him by the neck.

"I'll see to it that you never see the light of day again, boy!" She hissed. Then, with all her might, she threw him against the wall. He could hear Fleur calling for him as his vision went blurry and he fell unconscious.

Fleur struggled to free herself from the monster's grip. She thrashed and scratch and hit her, but nothing phased Roselin. Soon, she lost energy and just fell limp. She began to cry hard. She was so scared of what would happen, what Roselin would do. After a few minutes Roselin came to a stop. She opened a hidden door in the wall and began to descend a flight of stairs. At the bottom of the long spiral staircase it was dark and damp. The floor and walls were made of stone, and Fleur could see shackles attached to the wall. Suddenly she was lifted off the ground and she felt a cloth being pressed over her nose and mouth.

"Must be gentle with the little princess..." Roselin whispered. This was the last thing Fleur heard before she, too, fell unconscious.

Sora awoke only minutes later, before Roselin returned for him. He immediately panicked, looking around for Fleur, finding her nowhere. But after realizing what had happened, he calmed his nerves and thought it out.

_I will save her... Roselin has gone too far! I'll be ready when she returns..._

And he was. He put on some clothes quickly ran to Fleur's room to get his key necklace from the bathroom. Just as he left the room, the key fell from his neck. When he grasped it again to retrieve it, a brilliant blue light engulfed his hand and the key. Before it faded, he felt a weight added to his hand. When the light dissipated, he was clutching a much larger key around the handle. Then he heard a voice.

"_Use the keyblade. Save the girl. Her life is in danger." _The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere around him.

"Key...blade? A weapon?" He asked himself. Before he had time to answer, he heard her coming. She was coming back, most likely to end his life. But he was ready.

"And now for you..." She said quietly as she ascended the stairs. "You have made a fatal mistake, boy. And I mean it when I say _fatal." _She said softly. As she reached the top of the stairs, her eyes were glowing red and the nonexistent wind blew her hair and clothes in a violent rage. She paused for a moment, then roaring and lunging for Sora's throat. He rolled on the ground and dodged her attack, then quickly thrusting the keyblade down towards the back of her neck. She quickly twisted around and grabbed the keyblade, halting it right in front of her face.

"Let's take this... OUTSIDE!" She screamed as she thrust Sora and the keyblade towards the glass window. He went crashing through it to the courtyard below, holding the keyblade tight the entire way down. He hit the ground hard, and it knocked the wind out of him. But he quickly stood up and regained composure, just in time to see Roselin leaping towards him from the broken window above. As she hit the ground, perfectly on her feet, the wind picked up and began tearing up everything in the courtyard. Sora dug the keyblade into the ground to keep himself from blowing away. He looked up at Roselin to see her standing still, her arms in the air. A red light began emanating from her body. Her hair grew long and her whole body began to grow. When she had reached about twice her previous size, claws began jutting out from her hands and her mouth bore fangs. She suddenly opened her eyes and orange orbs began forming around her hands. She brought them together to form one large orb and aimed it at Sora.

"Good night..." She said in a low, growling voice. Sora stood his ground, moving only to take his fighting stance.

* * *

Notes-DUN DUN DUN! It's getting intense... Hope you guys think I did ok with the first part of the fight, because this is the first time doing a fighting scene for me. R+R! Tell me what you think!

-VarekaiSoleil


	15. For Fleur

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- DING DING! Round one! I'll try my best to make this a good fight... I don't want to make it too long, though... Read on!

* * *

Chapter 15-For Fleur

Sora grasped the keyblade tightly as the wind blew. Roselin gave a lowgrowl.

"Good night..." She said in an evil, dark voice.

Sora tugged the keyblade out of the ground and spread his feet, ready to fight. _For Fleur!_ He declared in his mind as Roselin's orange orb came careening down towards him. He dodged her attack, jumping against a tree. He pushed himself from the tree towards her, keyblade ready to strike. She was quick, though, and threw another orb in his direction as he flew towards her. He brought the keyblade in front of him to block the attack. As the keyblade met with the orb, Sora stopped in midair and lightning crackled from the clash. After a few moments, both Sora and the orb were thrust in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the orb dissipated before striking Roselin. Sora landed back on his feet and immediately ran in for another attack, this time from the ground. He raced towards her feet, hoping that her size would be a disadvantage to her. He was right. He sliced into her shin, making her scream in agony. The wound ran the length of her leg, and blood poured from it. He smoothly ran between her legs, emerging behind her. She looked down and became confused when she didn't see him. He scaled the trees and jumped from the highest tree to strike the beck of her neck. Again he succeeded, sending more blood down her back. He landed gracefully asshe fell to her knees in pain, then continuing her decent until her head hit the ground. She paused for a minute, and Sora thought the fight may have ended, but she quickly rolled over, swinging her arm through the air and down onto the ground where he stood. He narrowly escaped being crushed entirely, but she did manage to wound his leg. He felt the bone in his leg crack as he crawled out from under her huge hand. He limped out of her reach, relieved in the knowledge that she couldn't stand back up.

_Now what? I've immobilized her... but if I get close enough to strike again, she'll get to me first! What do I do? And... AGH! My leg! She broke it... this is gonna be difficult... _Sora thought to himself as he planned his next move. Then the voice he heard earlier came back with more advice.

_Sora! Use the keyblade! If you wish it, it can be done!_

Apparently only he could hear the voice, as Roselin was still laying silently, breathing heavily. She still had her magic, which meant he had to act fast or she might attack again.

_If I wish it, it can be done...? Well, worth a try..._ He decided to trust the mysterious voice. He used his arms and his one good leg to get into the trees, high enough so he was out of Roselin's reach. Then he moved into a position where he could aim at her head. He stood shakily on the branch and raised the keyblade over his head. He began to concentrate very hard on what he wanted.

_Let her die... let her die... let her DIE!_

The keyblade began to glow a bright red. He had discovered its magical ability. It began to pulse just before Sora made his move.

"DIIIIEEE!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. He leapt out of the top of the tree and swung the keyblade down to connect with Roselin's head. She was taken completely by surprise, and by the time she realized it, it was too late to save herself. The keyblade stuck into her forehead, and the red light engulfed her giant body. She froze like a statue and her body dissolved into the air and blew away like ashes as the light faded. Sora landed on the ground in a heap, pain from his leg flooding his entire body. He wiped sweat and blood from his face and stood, using the keyblade as a crutch. He hobbled over to a tree, where he sat to catch his breath. Before long, his newfound friend returned with more words of wisdom.

_Hurry, Sora! You need to find her, she has been hidden within the castle walls. The keyblade... _

At this he forced himself to stand, using the keyblade to slowly make his way inside. There he found Hilda, in the foyer, crying. She looked up when she heard him come in.

"Sora! You did it! I'm so happy! We're all free!" She said as she ran over and gave him a big hug. He winced in pain, and she stepped back. "You're hurt! I'll help you... but we need to find Miss Fleur! Roselin has trapped her somewhere, I don't know where."

Sora sighed and dropped the keyblade. As it hit the ground, a pale blue light surrounded it and it shrunk again, back to the key he had around his neck. He bent down to retrieve it, but it started spinning like a fan. So fast it went, then coming to an immediate halt. Sora looked puzzled, and he and Hilda just stared at it for a moment.

"Could it be... trying... to tell us something?" Hilda asked. Sora remembered what the voice had said. Maybe the keyblade _was_ trying to help. He looked at it, and then raised his head in the direction it was pointing. It was directing him down the long hall, where all were forbidden. It was worth a shot. He picked up the key and headed down the hall, motioning for Hilda to follow. When they reached the entrance to the hall, Hilda stopped.

"I... I can't go with you... You need to rescue Fleur on your own." Hilda turned around, wishing him luck before she went back to the foyer to find Sholto.

Sora looked down the hall. It was well lit and very long. He waltzed in as if it were nothing, determined to find Fleur. When he was about half was down the hall, the key burned his hand and he dropped it on the floor. It started spinning again, and this timeit tooklonger to stop. Eventually, when it did, it was pointing to a crack in the wall, a secret entrance that hadn't been sealed properly. He knew this was it. He snatched the key off the ground and raced through the door and down the spiral staircase. At the bottom of the staircase was a lamp cord. He pulled it, and a spotlight lit up, pointing straight at Fleur. She sat limply on the ground, still unconscious. Her arms were suspended above her head in shackles, and her head hung down making her hair hide her face. Sora ran up to her and picked her up.

"Fleur! FLEUR! Wake up! Come on! Please, open your eyes!" He screamed, his own eyes filling with tears. His hand began to burn again, and he looked at the key in his fist. It began pulsing with a yellow light. He looked at Fleur's shackles, and they also began glowing yellow. He put the key in the lock and turned it, and sure enough Fleur was released. As soon as the shackles came off, she regained consciousness. She was breathing heavily and sweat covered her face and neck, making her hair stick to her. She looked up at Sora. He was holding her still-limp body close to his. She nestled her head into his chest and began to cry softly.

"Fleur... it's okay now... I kept my promise, I've slain Roselin..." Sora comforted her. Hearing these words, her head jerked up and she somewhat regained strength. She looked at him, in disbelief. Then she pushed the shoulder of her dress down, revealing her bare shoulder.

"It's gone... the mark is gone! You really did free us!" She cried. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. He immediately kissed her back with as much fire and passion as he had in him.

"I love you so much, Fleur. We're free to do that now." He was right. There was no more Roselin to hide their love from. And there never would be.

"I love you too, Sora! I love you!" She declared to him. He still stood with all his weight on one leg, and he almost lost his balance. She noticed him sway and looked down to see his leg, bruised and slightly crooked.

"Oh! She hurt you! Let's get you back upstairs... you need to be healed... you must be in pain!" She began to try and help him up the stairs.

"Not so much anymore... now that I know you're okay. I'm not the one who matters... she didn't hurt you, and that's what I care about." He paused."Yea... let's go back upstairs. Hilda is waiting for me to return with you."

"Let's go... mustn't keep them waiting!" Fleur smiled. Her smiling again made Sora smile uncontrollably. He chuckled a bit and kissed her on the cheek as she put his arm around her shoulders and began helping him up the stairs.

* * *

Notes- Huzzah! Roselin is gone! Now they can turn their focus to Sora's friends... what? Did you forget? Yes! There are still the issues of Sora's friends, Fleur's party, and even the mysterious book in the library! Much more to come... R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	16. All's Well

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- Well I hope there are still some people enjoying this story, because I haven't gotten any reviews since chapter 11... So if you're still here (and my hit counter says you are) drop in and let me know what your opinion is on my story. Here's the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 16-All's Well

Fleur helped Sora up the stairs and got him to a chair in the foyer. Hilda called the doctor, and they told him that Sora had fallen on the stairs. The doctor didn't bother to inquire about his other injuries. He fixed Sora's leg and wrapped it up in a bandage.

"Thank you so much, doctor. We really appreciate it very much." Fleur thanked the doctor as she showed him to the door.

"Not a problem. Keep him off it for a few days. After a week, he should start trying to walk on it a bit. He should be fully healed in a few weeks. Call again if you need anything else." The doctor explained to Fleur.

"We definitely will. Thanks again." She said as he tipped his hat and got into his carriage.

Fleur turned back to face Hilda and Sora in the foyer. Hilda had propped up Sora's leg and was holding her hands over it, chanting. Fleur's face took on a puzzled look. Sora seemed calm as he just watched Hilda work.

"Hilda? What on earth are you doing?" Fleur demanded.

"Shh..." Was Hilda's reply. She chanted a few more words, then opening her eyes and looking up. She then rested her hands on Sora's leg. "Under Roselin's control, I was unable to perform my magic. But now that her hold has been broken, I can cure Sora's leg without the need for a bandage. I wasn't going to earlier... but I didn't want his injury to interfere with the plans for your party, Fleur."

"The party... I almost forgot! We should go back to Arcadia and tell them what happened! Oh how wonderful! They could live here with us for awhile, no Roselin to stop us!" Fleur seemed to be speaking to herself.

"Yes, Fleur. You are the head of the castle now. We are all under your command." Hilda stated gracefully. Sora rose onto his fully healed leg and took Fleur in his arms.

"Our problems are over, Fleur. We are free to love and do as we please. I love you." He looked into her eyes. Before waiting for a reply, he pulled her into a passionate kiss which she immediately returned. She brought her hands up to hold his face and he placed his gently on her back. They pulled away and smiled. After a few moments, he scooped her up in his arms.

"Well, are we going to Arcadia or what?" He playfully asked her.

"Of course! Let's go!" She answered, happy that she had no worries any longer.

He whisked her away up the stairs and to her bedroom, where they got the usual things before heading out to Arcadia. The driver was waiting on the gravel road as they bounded out of the front doors and jumped into the carriage.

"To the beach, the pier, please!" Fleur called to the driver. He immediately took off and they were on their way.

After repeating their usual routine of getting to Arcadia, they were once again at the door to the underwater home of Fleur's friends. Kadaj answered the door.

"Fleur! Hey!" He hugged her. "Nice to see you again... but what are you doing here? I thought we were just supposed to-"

"Roselin is gone! She's gone for good!" Kadaj was cut off by Fleur's declaration.

"What? What are you talking about?" He asked, puzzled.

"Sora's killed her! She no longer exists!" Fleur was jumping up and down and smiling like crazy.

"Are you serious? Sora, you did that?" Kadaj asked in disbelief.

"Yea, I did. And I'd do it a million times over again to save Fleur." He stopped her jumping and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. She smiled and nestled in to him as he put his arm around her. Kadaj smiled at this, too, as he finally got to see Fleur be truly happy.

"So where are the others?" Fleur said as she peaked in over Kadaj's shoulder to see an empty living room. Kadaj moved aside and gestured for them to come in.

"They went into town to do some shopping. I'm watching the house."

"Oh, Cloud went too?" She asked, surprised.

"Yea... he says the girls never get him the right kind of snack food, so he has to tag along."

"He's always been like that, huh? Ever since we were little!" Fleur joked. Kadaj laughed heartily and went to the kitchen. He brought back two plates of jinji fruit- one for he and Fleur to share and one for Sora. Sora smiled big and devoured fruit, then rubbing his stomach and thanking Kadaj.

So Fleur explained what had happened and told Kadaj that they were now free to come stay with she and Sora whenever they pleased. They didn't stay long, though, because she wanted to get back to the house and get some things done.

"Sorry we can't stay, Kadaj. We have to go back and run some errands. Tell the others I said hello, and make sure to pop in a surprise us some time! Oh yea, and the party is still scheduled for three days from now. See you then!" She smiled brightly as he showed them out the door.

"We'll be there!" He called after her as they swam off.

_Too bad the others missed this news... They'll never believe me when I tell them! Fleur needs to tell them herself... but we won't see her until the party... wait... I have an idea! We can gotomorrow! Sure it's two days early... but she said to surprise her! That's just the genius working... _Kadaj mentally thought it out.

Once they got back to the house, it was dark out and getting late. Fleur and Sora both went to bed and experienced the best sleep either of them had ever had. The next morning, Fleur started bright and early with the new plans for the castle.

"Hilda! You are still my lady's maid, but you will now have a room all to yourself on the same level as me. Sholto, you will get a new room as well, but you are being reassigned to help us remodel Roselin's room. We're turning her master suite into the new ball room, since our other ball room is falling apart. Anything useful of hers will be stored in the old ball room. Throw everything else out. Now, lets get to work! Sholto, you and Sora will begin now by getting the things out of Roselin's old room, and putting her old sheets on the floor for painting. Hilda and I will go get new furnishings for the room. We'll cook you a meal when we return. See you in a few hours!" Fleur instructed. She went up to her room and got two sun hats and some money. She gave one of the hats to Hilda and they rung the driver, who took them into town.

On the way there, Hilda seemed overwhelmed, and Fleur decided to talk to her about it.

"Hilda, you seem upset. What's the matter?"

"Nothing at all! I'm just a bit... well... in shock, really. I'm so happy Roselin is gone, and you're treating me so nicely. It's too much, really..."

"Look, Hilda, you are my friend. Don't worry about it! You'll feel better when we get you into your new room. I was also planning on having Yajai fit you for a few new dresses and outfits. How's that sound?" Fleur tried to make her feel better. Hilda smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh Fleur! That sounds just wonderful! I'm so happy!" The two girls hugged tight and Fleur reassured her that everything was changing for the better. Then the carriage stopped, and Fleur and Hilda got out.

"Come on! Let's try and find something to brighten up that musty old room!" Fleur laughed as she grabbed Hilda by the arm and bounded off for the storefronts.

* * *

Notes-Yay! I'm so glad about being able to write happier chapters now:) Well, I need some input now... tell me how you think the story is going. Like it? Hate it? Wish you were Fleur? So do I. And also, let me know what color you think the ballroom should end up being painted. The next chapter will be all about the transformation of the room. R+R! Any ideas are welcome!

-VarekaiSoleil


	17. A Refreshing Change

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II.

Notes- This will kinda be an uneventful chapter... So I'll try to make it as good as it can get. After Roselin is gone, things are gonna slow down, but after a few more chapters, well get into Sora's half of the story! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 17- A Refreshing Change

Sora and Sholto stood in the doorway to Roselin's room. It was right at the top of the stairs, and two large doors led into it, the perfect place for a ballroom. The room itself, though, was a disappointing mess. She had a large bed, the biggest either of them had ever seen. It had a flowing canopy draped over it, and the colors were all deep reds and dark grays. There was a sitting area, with two large couches and a few arm chairs, surrounding a fireplace that was centered on the far wall. A large, elegant chandelier hung from the roof. There was also a large door that led to her bathroom, which was similar to Fleur's, only larger. Sora and Sholto sighed in unison.

"Well... let's get to work..." Sholto scratched his head and sighed again.

"Yea... let's start with the bed..." Sora said as she made his way over to the bed and began stripping it of its covers. He pulled off the top blankets and threw them to Sholto, who tossed them out the door. Sora pulled off the sheets and left them on the floor. Fleur said they were going to be used later when they painted.

They were doing their work as normal, when a knock on the door interrupted them. They looked at each other in confusion.

"I... I'll get it." Sora said as he rose from his kneeling position. He made his way down the stairs and cautiously opened the door to find four smiling faces holding suitcases.

"Hi Sora!" Aya and Hari both cheerfully greeted him.

"Hey guys!" Sora smiled back at them. "Cloud, Kadaj... this is a surprise! The party isn't till the day after tomorrow."

"We know." Kadaj said. "We decided to surprise you! Fleur said we could stay for awhile, so we brought all our stuff, and here we are!" He smiled big. Sora looked confused again for a moment, then just smiling and welcoming their guests.

"Well, me and Sholto are upstairs cleaning out Roselin's room. We're making it into a new ballroom, just in time for the party. Fleur and Hilda went out to get new furnishings and paint for the room." Sora explained. "They'll be back in a few hours. You guys can leave your stuff in my room, we'll get you your own rooms later. Aya and Hari, you leave your stuff in Fleur's room."

"Alright! Then we can cook you some food, you look starving!" Aya giggled.

"Yea, and we can help you with the room." Cloud offered.

"That would be great... we'll need all the help we can get!" Sora laughed. The guests dropped their things off in the rooms, and got to helping out.

Cloud and Kadaj helped Sora and Sholto move the furniture and Hari and Aya cooked them a great meal.

They carried on like this for hours. The guys managed to dispose of Roselin's mattress, clothes, and some of her other useless belongings. They moved all of her furniture to the old ball room, and even cleaned out the fireplace and polished the mantle.

At about six in the evening, Fleur and Hilda returned.

"Hello? We're hooooome!" Fleur called. Aya and Hari popped their heads out of the kitchen, holding wooden utensils and wearing dirty aprons.

"Fleur!" They called both at once. There was an awkward silence, since Fleur had been so surprised.

"Uh... SURPRISE!" Hari yelled. Aya looked at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. This was followed by Fleur and Hilda's laughter, and then the guys appearing at the top of the stairs.

"What's so funny?" Cloud asked with a big smile. "Hey Fleur!" He called. He and Kadaj ran down the stairs to greet her. Hugs were exchanged, and Fleur explained what had happened to Roselin.

They all continued to work until about eight. Cloud helped Fleur and Hilda get the new things for the room out of the carriage, and the girls finished up dinner.

The group met in the dining room that night at eight-thirty. They all took their seats at the large table, which was now filled with smiling faces instead of housing empty chairs. The entire room seemed to have a brighter light about it as everyone laughed and talked. As Aya and Hari brought out the food, the guys all rubbed their stomachs and shifted their silverware. They girls set down steaming plates of food from both the market in town and the market in Arcadia. Sora, Cloud, and Kadaj stabbed at the plates, taking whatever they could reach. Sholto maintained his manners, along with the girls, who patiently waited till the boys were done.

After a quiet dinner, Fleur and the girls all went to her room. Fleur laid out extra cushions and blankets on the floor for her friends, assuring them that they would have rooms by tomorrow. Hilda and Fleur shared Fleur's bed, while Aya and Hari shared a spot on the floor.

Sora took the other guys to his room, but decided that the same arrangement was not going to work, so he slept in his own bed and gave Cloud and Kadaj separate spots on the floor. All slept well that night.

* * *

Notes- Hope you like! After the party, we'll pick up on a new plot, which I've been referring to as "Sora's half" of the story. Sorry for the length of the chapter... Ithought this wasa good spot tocut it off at, but it came up a little short.R+R! Reviews are appreciated!-VarekaiSoleil 


	18. Lunch in the Garden

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Advent Children.

Notes- The party is fast approaching! I'm personally excited to get that one written and posted.

* * *

Chapter 18- Lunch in the Garden

The next morning, the girls got to work painting the ballroom. Fleur and Hilda had chosen a warm, golden shade for the walls, with a deep red-ish burgundy shade to accent the doors, windows, and fireplace. The guys spent the morning hauling all of Roselin's things out the door.

At lunch, Kadaj made everyone his famous club sandwiches. Fleur made iced tea, and they all ate in the courtyard. As they sat and ate, Aya looked up into the clear blue sky and sighed.

"What is it?" Cloud asked, sounding both curious and concerned.

"Oh, nothing." She replied softly. "It's just such a beautiful day. I don't think I've seen a sky this blue in a long time." She smiled at Cloud. He couldn't help but return the gesture.

Hari had finished her lunch and was walking alongside the small stream, admiring the koi and the scenery. She strolled along quietly by herself, walking through the hedge maze and smelling the flowers. Suddenly, her serene silence was broken by warm hands over her eyes, accompanied by a familiar voice.

"Guess who..." He whispered.

"Oh, I dunno... Kadaj?" She joked.

"Wrong!" He laughed as he spun her around and kissed her lightly. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. They made their way back to the spot under the tree where they had left their friends. Kadaj walked in front of Hari as they walked around the corner of the hedge to see Fleur and Sora kissing passionately under the cherry blossom tree. Aya and Cloud had already gone off on their own, obviously to give Fleur and Sora some alone time. Kadaj turned on a dime and bumped into Hari, who was following close behind him.

"Let's go this way..." He whispered.

"But why don't we just go back?"

"How 'bout let's not and say we did..."

"You're acting strange..."

"Ah... I just think we should give Fleur and Sora some... some time alone together. They're... um... well we shouldn't interrupt."

Hari took the hint and turned to head back into the hedge maze. She and Kadaj walked hand in hand, getting lost in the seemingly never-ending maze.

Meanwhile, Aya and Cloud were sitting together in a large patch of flowers. She picked one out of the ground and lifted it to her nose, smelling the sweet aroma. Cloud watched her lovingly as she placed the flower in her hair. He couldn't wait any longer...

"Aya..."

"Yes, Cloud?" She smiled at him. He smiled back, nearly getting lost in her eyes.

He hesitated. "...Never mind. It's nothing."

"Cloud," She interrupted. She knew what he was going to say. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"I do. I love you too, Aya." He said with the utmost sincerity, looking deeper into her blue-gray eyes. She had spoken his words for him, so he just leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back, and he wrapped her in arms, holding her close. She settled into his warm, firm grip and continued to kiss him sweetly.

Soon, Sora and Fleur began packing up the blanket and picnic basket and heading back inside. Fleur and Hilda cleaned everything and put it all away while Sora and Sholto moved the new furniture into the new ballroom, in which the paint was just done drying. After Sora and Fleur returned inside, Hari and Kadaj soon followed. And last but not least, Aya and Cloud came walking in holding hands.

After everything was all cleaned and put back where it belonged, Fleur took Aya, Hari, and Hilda to Yajai to have dresses made for the ball. The guys had their afternoon work cut out for them, since they were assigned to hand out the invitations for the ball. The hard part was having to go around town on land _and_ having to go to Arcadia to hand out the invitations. Along with this task, they had to buy themselves suits for the ball. They did their shopping first, and then decided to start in Arcadia with the invites.

"She gave me a list..." Sora said as he unrolled a long scroll of paper with the names of the people Fleur wanted to invite.

"Hey..." Kadaj pointed as he read some of the names. "Some of these people live in Arcadia."

"Yea... Look, Denzel... Tifa... We know them!" Cloud said, pointing out the obvious to Kadaj.

"Well, this is a long list... We better get going. We'll go get our suits first, and then... well, it looks like we should start in Arcadia." The three of them sighed in unison. This was going to be a long afternoon.

Back inside the castle, the girls were running about Yajai's workshop, choosing from all different sorts of fabric. Aya chose a gorgeous gold silk and another red silk with black lace to use as an accent. Hari had put together a beautiful combination of turquoise and gold with white lace. Fleur, though, had to keep her choices a secret. Yajai made sure she wouldn't ruin the surprise of her entrance at the ball.

Yajai made Hari and Aya's dresses first. The girls all waited in Fleur's room while the seamstress worked. It took only a few hours before they were done. As they entered back into Yajai's workshop, Yajai stood proudly between two mannequins that were draped with white sheets.

"Who wants to try on first?" Yajai smiled. Aya and Hari looked at each other for a few moments. Then Hari nudged Aya to take a step forward.

"You go first, I wanna see yours!" She told her, pushing her further towards the mannequins.

"Ah, Aya... this one is yours! Yajai said, placing a graceful, bony hand on one of the mannequins. "Come along." She grabbed Aya's arm with the other hand and wheeled the mannequin in front of them to the back of the room. After they were hidden by the mountain range of fabric and thread, Yajai pushed Aya into a room along with the still-covered mannequin.

"Put it on and come back out when you're ready." Yajai said, pausing, then smiling and shuffling out.

Aya turned to look at a large mirror on the far side of the dressing stall. She pulled closed the curtains and sighed. _Here goes nothing,_ she thought. She took her hair down and began to change into the dress.

A few minutes later, Aya emerged from the dressing room and waltzed out to show off her dress.

"Oh my gosh!" Hari squealed.

"You look amazing!" Fleur smiled big. Yajai just stood by and admired her own work. Aya spun around, posing for her friends.

The dress was mostly gold, with a bit of red revealed on the front of the skirt and the front of the top. The black lace separated the gold from the red on the torso of the dress, and it edged the red around the bottom of the bell-shaped skirt. She spun around again, making the dress flow lavishly. She then curtsied, and Yajai took Hari by the arm to take her to the dressing room. Aya took a seat next to Fleur, and they watched and waited for Hari to return.

Moments later, she turned the corner bashfully, smiling sweetly. "So?" She questioned.

"Oh wow! You look wonderful!" Aya said excitedly as she stood up to examine Hari's dress more closely.

"It's gorgeous!" Fleur smiled and giggled with excitement as she began to see how wonderfully the party was coming together.

Hari twirled around in her dress, which was turquoise with gold showing from the front of the skirt. The torso was a corset style, and the skirt was large and flowing. White lace rimmed all the gold fabric, and she had a large gold bow near her lower back. The dress had simple sleeves that draped her arms in the turquoise fabric. She and Aya looked each other up and down, both smiling at how the other looked. They felt like royalty.

"Okay girls. Go change back and head up to your rooms. Fleur, you go with them, I need Hilda's help making your dress." Yajai said as she ushered Aya and Hari back to the dressing rooms. "I'll have the dresses brought up to your rooms. You go relax for awhile."

After Aya and Hari changed, they both went up to their rooms and both had a long soak in their baths. For the next few hours, Yajai and Hilda worked tirelessly on Fleur's gown for the ball. Fleur sat anxiously in the front room, while Yajai and Hilda did all their work behind closed curtains.

Hilda had chosen to wear a dress she already had made awhile back. It was a simple, pale green shade with bows around the bottom of the skirt. It had thin, lace straps over her shoulders.

Fleur sat twiddling her thumbs looking around at all the color that surrounded her. She was startled when Yajai and Hilda finally emerged with her dress, uncovered, on a mannequin. Fleur was speechless.

"So, what do you think?" Yajai asked.

"Not half bad, eh?" Hilda smiled.

"It's... it's amazing! Wonderful! I've never seen anything like it!" Fleur jumped up from her chair and ran over to the dress, running her hands down the soft silk.

The dress was made of black silk with gold lace and red lining revealed widely in the front. The torso was black as well, with a gold section in the center in the shape of a V. It had black sleeves that draped from just below her shoulders to her elbows. Behind it was a small train of the black silk. Like Hari's, her dress also had a bow, but her's was long and delicate. It was tied behind her back, but the ribbon reached all the way down the back of the skirt.

"Well, try it on! The party is tomorrow, after all." Yajai reminded her. Fleur nodded and went back into the dressing stall to put on the dress. Of course, it fit perfectly and looked stunning on her.

"Well!" Yajai began. "Sora will be very pleased, if I may say so." She finished with a smile. First, Fleur gave her an odd look as if to say _How did you know about Sora and I?_ But then she smiled and thanked Yajai. She changed out of the dress quickly and put it back on the mannequin. She then rushed upstairs to see how the ballroom looked. She hadn't seen it since she painted it earlier.

When she entered, she saw that all of the furniture had been placed with an expert eye. It all looked perfectly done, and the guys had even lit the fireplace. This and the light from the new chandelier gave the room a warm, inviting glow. She wandered into the room, admiring it from all sides. She sat down on the couch by the fireplace for a moment, then moving to the back of the room to inspect the long wooden table that would play host to the food served at the party. She was very pleased.

Later that night, the boys came home, each with a shopping bag and wet hair.

"Welcome back!" The girls all called from above the foyer.

"Hey! Come down here and greet us properly!" Cloud called. All of the girls ran down the stairs and wrapped their arms around their men.

"That's more like it!" Kadaj joked as he dropped his bag to return Hari's hug. Cloud and Sora both did the same. They all sat down to relax in the foyer. Cloud put his arm around Aya, and she yawned deeply.

"You tired?" He asked her.

"A little..." She said with a nod.

"It _is_ getting late..." Fleur remarked. "And we _do_ have to get up early to prepare for the party tomorrow evening."

"Yeah..." The group replied all at once.

"We should get to bed." Kadaj said, being the second person to yawn.

"Yea... good night, you guys. See you in the morning, bright and early!" Hari smiled.

"Good night." Everyone replied.

Cloud carried the already-sleeping Aya upstairs to her room and laid her down to sleep. He kissed her on the forehead and bid her good night, then going to his own room to sleep.

* * *

Kadaj and Hari walked to her room, holding hands on the way up. They kissed lightly and said good nights at her door, then separating for the night.

* * *

Sora and Fleur spent a few more minutes downstairs, until Fleur fell asleep. Sora carried her upstairs, and put her to bed. Before leaving, he knelt at her bedside clutching her hand for a few moments.

_I'm so glad you're able to be happy... I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. You took me in and showed me kindness. I will never forget that._

He kissed her on her forehead and bid her good night, departing to his own room for the night.

The next day, Fleur was turning sixteen, and there would be a wonderful celebration.

* * *

Notes- Wow, that was a long chapter. Probably... no, definitely the longest I've ever written. Hope you liked it! And the next one will be the long-awaited party! I'm excited to get that one written. Thanks for reading! R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	19. Happy Birthday

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Advent Children

Notes- Gomen. I know it's been awhile, but all you that read loyally are going to be happy… Because it's time for Fleur's party! Let's go…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 19- Happy Birthday

The sun peaked through Fleur's thin curtains. Her eyes slowly cracked open and a smile graced her face. She stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She got out of bed and went to her bathroom to splash cold water in her face. She put on her morning robe and went down for breakfast. Aya and Hari were already toiling away in the kitchen. When Fleur entered, they greeted her loudly.

"Happy birthday!" They both shouted. The quickly took off their dirty aprons to give Fleur a birthday hug. She hugged them back with a newfound awaken feeling. The sweet scents that came from the food in the kitchen had woken her senses. Just as the Aya and Hari were putting their aprons back on, Cloud stumbled in.

"What's going on? Why are you guys being so loud?" He said, leaning on the doorframe and rubbing his eyes.

"We're cooking Fleur a birthday breakfast." Aya told him as she kissed him on the cheek. A small smile graced his face. He turned to go put on clothes, and just as he did so, Sora and Kadaj came barreling down the stairs and into the kitchen, knocking Cloud to the ground. Cloud, now rubbing his head, looked up to see Sora and Kadaj lifting the lids on the pots and pans and sniffing the sweet aromas that wafted from each of them.

"Out, out, out!" Hari pushed them. "It's not ready yet. Besides, you need to make yourself presentable for Fleur's birthday!"

"Speaking of… I haven't heard any of you wish Fleur a happy birthday yet!" Aya scolded. All at once, the boys wished Fleur a slightly apologetic happy birthday. Fleur, who had made herself comfortable in a chair at the table, smiled and thanked them. Then the boys all went upstairs to dress.

They all ate breakfast together. Even Sholto and Hilda were able to join them. After breakfast, it was time to prepare for the party. First, the girls went about decorating the ballroom while the boys were put to the task of grooming the courtyard so as to make it presentable for the guests. At three in the afternoon, they began to get themselves ready for the party. The girls all joined each other in the sauna while the boys took their suits to Yajai for some finishing touches. Yajai even embroidered the usual symbols into Sora's suit. Then they all retired to their own rooms to bathe and dress.

When Sora was done dressing, he went to Fleur's room and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" He heard her voice from inside.

"Fleur, are you ready?" He asked.

"Um… almost, but you shouldn't wait for us. In fact, us girls are supposed to make an entrance to the ball. You three should go and welcome guests until we're ready." Fleur told him as she looked at the clock. It was almost eight, time for guests to begin arriving.

"Oh… okay…" Sora said softly. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Oh, someone is here! I'll go get it. See you at the party!"

"See you there!" She smiled.

Sora ran down the stairs to get the door, where he ran into Cloud, who was also there to answer the door. They looked at each other for a moment. Sora decided he should get it, so he opened the door. There were four people in the doorway.

"Hi! We're here for the party!" A small girl with dark hair smiled big. "Oh, hi Cloud!" The girl smiled.

"Hey Yuffie! Come on in!" Cloud stepped aside and let her in. She was followed by another girl with long, light brown hair. "Aerith, nice to see you again!"

"Hey you guys!" She smiled. Behind the girls were two guys in black suits.

"Leon, Riku, glad you're here!" Cloud welcomed them as well. He then turned to Sora, who was quietly standing by. "Everyone, this is Sora. He's Fleur's escort, and, well, boyfriend." The girls giggled and whispered, which made Sora blush, but he was distracted quickly by the two hands extended towards him.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you." Leon said as he shook Sora's hand.

"Likewise," Sora replied.

"Name's Riku. Good to meet you." Riku said when Sora switched to his hand.

"Yeah, you too. Hey, why don't you guys come on into the ballroom? Everything's set up." Sora suggested. They all agreed, and Leon offered Aerith his arm. Riku did the same for Yuffie, and they all made their way to the ballroom. When they got their, Sora played host.

"Okay, well make yourselves at home, there are refreshments over…" He was stopped by another knock on the door. "Ah, one second…" he turned and hastily ran downstairs. Cloud picked up where Sora left off, showing everyone around. When Sora answered it, he was met by two more unfamiliar faces. One was a tall girl with black hair, wearing a long black dress.

"Oh, hello. I'm Tifa. We're here for the party." She smiled politely.

"Oh okay, I'm Sora. Come on in, I'll show you to the ballroom… and who might this be?" He asked, indicating a younger boy with light brown hair.

"I'm Denzel. It's nice to meet you." The boy replied.

"Hi Denzel. Well, shall we?" Sora said, stepping aside and inviting them in. He took them to the ballroom, where they sat with the others.

For about an hour, Sora was up and down the stairs, bringing people into the ballroom. By about nine, the ballroom was full. The sounds of laughter and glasses clinking filled the room. Sora, Cloud, Kadaj, sat date-less on the couch while they jealously watched Riku and Leon dance with their girls. Just as Sora was slouching down in the chair, a dinging noise filled the room. It was Hilda, hitting a knife on a glass.

"Everyone, everyone your attention please!" She called out, craning her neck above the heads of the guests. "The guest of honor has arrived, accompanied by the ladies of the house. Please welcome Princess Fleur, Lady Hari, and Lady Aya!"

All was silent as Fleur walked in gracefully, with Aya and Hari following behind her to the left and right. Jaws dropped and the other girls began to whisper. Sora, Cloud, and Kadaj rose from the couch, ready to accompany their dates.

The entrance looked rehearsed. As soon as the girls were inside the room, the doors shut behind them. Then, the boys waltzed up and each offered and arm to their date. Once they were paired, the three couples bowed and curtsied in unison. The room rumbled with the applause and cheering of the guests.

The night went by quickly. Fleur was presented with a few small gifts from her closer friends, and she danced with Sora for most of the songs. When the clock struck midnight, Fleur moved to the front of the room and clapped to get everyone's attention.

"My dear guests, thank you for attending. I'm so glad all of you could come, and I must say this is the most wonderful birthday I have ever had. But, all good things must come to an end, and so I must bid you all goodnight. Have a safe journey home, and I hope you enjoyed your time here." She said, later realizing how royally she had acted all night.

The room erupted with applause once more, and Sora met her at the front of the room to open to doors and see off the guests. A cleanup crew Cloud had hired got to work immediately, and everyone went off to their rooms to dress down and get ready for bed.

When Fleur got to her room, she found a note on her door that read:

_My dear princess:_

_Meet me in the foyer at one thirty in the morning_

_I wish to give you a special gift for your birthday_

_Please do not disappoint me_

_Signed, The Key_

Fleur smiled when she realized who the note was from. She quickly went in her room, realizing that it was already one in the morning. She quickly threw off her dress and adorned a warm night robe and slippers. With her she took the note and a lantern to light the hall. She left her room right on time, two minutes till her date with the "stranger."

Once to the bottom of the stairs, she used her lantern to light two more in the room, giving the whole room a dim, but warm glow. She set her lantern on the table in the center of the room. Just as she did so, she felt a hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist.

"Gotcha…" said a familiar voice. She smiled beneath the hand covering her face, and turned around in the grip to see none other than her beloved Sora. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a finger on her lips. "Shh… I want to take you somewhere." He said. He took his hand off her mouth and grasped the key that was around his neck. She immediately knew where they were going.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes- I loved writing this. I hope you loved reading it. Tell me some of your thoughts on this… do you know where he is taking her? Read a few chapters back and you may be able to find out… for now, I must bid you goodnight. R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	20. Return to the Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy Advent Children.

Notes- Sorry it took me so long to get this up. For the several weeks I've been in school, this is the first night I have had no homework. So, now that I have time… let's continue!

* * *

Chapter 20- Return to the Beginning

Fleur immediately knew where Sora was taking her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead and led her off in a hurry.

They raced up the stairs and around the halls, so fast that Fleur began laughing at Sora's sense of urgency. She didn't know why they were running, but she was enjoying this new side of Sora. As they approached the outer library door, Fleur realized that he had found the more "public" entrance to the library.

"My key unlocks this door, Fleur." He told her. "I hope this is okay… I've been coming here to read in my spare time."

"Of course, that's fine! Don't be sorry." She replied.

There was a short pause, and Fleur looked towards the door. Sora remembered what they were there for, and took the key from his neck, unlocking the door. He placed his hand on the knob, turning to Fleur, giving her a look that said so many things at once. The brass knob creaked as he turned it, and it opened unto a room lit by one dim candle.

Sora walked in slowly, as if he were walking into a church, making sure to make not one sound. Fleur followed, admiring the walls that she has missed so much. She hadn't been to the library since the last incident with Roselin. She was afraid to, and when Roselin was killed she had forgotten about her search for her past.

Sora approached the end table where a small lantern rested, dusty and tarnished. He took the candle and lit the lantern, which gave off a slightly brighter light. Enough to read by. He took a seat on the burgundy couch, reaching for a book that he had left on the coffee table that was positioned before him. When he picked it up and opened it, he realized Fleur was standing there, obviously waiting for him.

"Um… Sora? Why exactly did you bring me here?" She asked him quietly.

"Sorry, sorry… I forgot for a minute. I brought you here to help you search. To help you continue your search for clues to your past. Remember?"

"Of course I remember. I just… I've been distracted."

"That's why I'm here, Fleur. We are going to do this together." He smiled. She returned the gesture, then remembering the book that had refused to open its pages to her. She turned and looked on the end table at the other end of the couch. Sure enough, there it was, the letters dancing in the flame. _Arosukir Iriak. _

She walked over to the book, brushing her hand over the golden letters, feeling the leather cover. She attempted to open it again, but it duplicated it's first reaction, slamming shut with an eerie glow emanating from the pages. But this time, when it shut, the glowing receded until the book was normal, except for a light in the shape of a keyhole on the cover.

"Ow!" Sora quietly cursed, tearing the key from his neck and throwing it to the floor. "It burned me! It's hot…"

Fleur shot an odd look to the spot on the floor where the key was laying. She bent down and slowly pressed her hand on the metal, testing its temperature. She decided it was safe to hold, and took the key in her hand. Just then, the keyhole-shaped light on the book began pulsating. The whole room seemed to follow the rhythm.

_Bump-bump, Bump-bump, Bump-bump…_

Fleur picked up the book and pushed the key onto the cover. The light turned from pale green to bright red and the pulsating quickened. Fleur looked to Sora, as if asking what to do, and he just returned her stare, so she decided on her own. She took a deep breath.

In one swift motion, she jammed the key into the light and twisted it with all her strength. The key pierced the old leather and the light spread, then fading.

The book began to shake.

Fleur, startled, dropped the book to the ground. It opened abruptly, and the pages began to whip as if a hurricane tormented it. Fleur stepped back, and the book's spasm slowed. When the light had faded, one line on the opened page remained highlighted.

Fleur looked to Sora, and he looked back.

"Be my guest…" Fleur said, waving a graceful hand towards the book.

* * *

Notes- POSSESSED BOOK! No, it's not… but it IS saying something. Want to know what? Read the next chapter! When I post it, that is… R+R! Arigato and Sayonara!

-VarekaiSoleil


	21. Found

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Final Fantasy Advent Children.

Notes- Wow this took a long time to get up. So much school work… but I finally have a relaxed weekend with time enough to do this, and I've been getting some ideas… So I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 21- Found

"I think you should…" Fleur said quietly, looking at Sora with an almost frightened look.

"Okay…" He said hesitantly. He stepped toward the book and knelt down. The light from the lantern thrashed as time seemed to slow and he lowered his eyes to the page. Amongst the black ink letters, one phrase still glowed with a pale light. _Arosukir Iriak._

"Arosukir Iriak… But I don't get it? Why?" He said, seeming frustrated.

"I… I don't know…" Fleur replied. Sora placed a hand on the page opposite to the one with the glowing letters. As his fingers moved over the page, the letters began dancing in the lantern light. He gazed at them, and they slowly began lifting off the page. His face took on a look of surprise and a bit of fear. He stood up and stepped back so he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Fleur.

Then a whirlwind.

There was a breeze that grew into a whirlwind, the letters whipping around in the spiral before them. Fleur snatched Sora's hand and held it tight, stepping closer and clinging to him. He responded with an arm around her protectively, and the both stepped back once more. The letters were burning with a golden light and the winds started to die down. As the storm receded, the letters remained floating in midair.

They were rearranged. Sora was speechless.

There before him, hanging at eye level, were three words he knew so well.

_**Kairi Riku Sora**_

He released his grip on Fleur and stepped forward, a hand outstretched towards the letters, his gaze fixed. On his second step forward, his foot hit the book, and a light reappeared. His body was rendered motionless, and the light engulfed him. When the light left this time, Sora had gone with it.

Fleur gasped, looking at the bit of light still emanating from the pages. She saw his face in the pages for a split second, and without a second thought, stepped onto the book. The light engulfed her this time, and she was gone within seconds.

* * *

She awoke lying down. When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but pitch black abyss. Doubting her vision, she held up her hand. She could see fine. The problem was the lack of anything to see. She stood, almost falling from dizziness. When she took a step forward, her foot hit the blackness as if it was a floor, but she saw nothing there.

_What the… Where am I?_

In a panic, she called out his name.

"SORA!!! SO-RAAAA!!!" She screamed. Out of breath, she hit her knees. She knelt down, panting for a few moments. As her breathing returned to normal, she heard footsteps on the ground-that-wasn't.

"Fleur… is it you?"

Her head jerked around at the familiar voice and tears filled her eyes at the sight of his face.

"Sora!" She leapt up from her kneeling position and flung herself into his arms.

"Fleur, I'm so happy you're here." He held her tight and calmed her tears. "I've found them. They're alive… but they're… well, the only way I can think to explain it is sleeping." He paused and looked down at Fleur's face. She was looking up and him, listening intently, so he continued. "They're in a place, I don't know how I got there… but I'm going to try to go back and take you with me this time, okay?"

There was a short pause, but she nodded. He held her tight and closed his eyes. Seeing this, she closed hers as well. She suddenly felt her stomach drop, as if she had fallen from a high rooftop. When she opened her eyes, she was in another place, an abyss just as black as the last, but Sora was not holding her. Instead, he was standing off to her left, facing the opposite direction as her. He was staring, and she saw tears beginning to form in his eyes. She turned around to look at what he saw.

There they were.

His only friends from his past. Kairi and Riku.

The girl, Kairi, was floating off the ground so her stomach was about to Fleur's eye level. There was a pale pink light radiating off of her. Her arms were held out as if she was wearing shackles, yet her wrists were free. Her legs just dangled, gracefully relaxed, and her head hung forward ever so slightly. Fleur could see her face, soft and gentle. A bit of her auburn hair fell into her face and around her shoulders. She was dressed in a sleeveless pink zip hoodie and a black skirt, no shoes.

Sora stepped up to her, but the pink light brightened and he was pushed back.

Fleur then turned her attention towards the boy, also floating at eye level. He was horizontal, though, and his arms and legs hung limply from his torso. He was wearing black pants, black shoes, and a yellow shirt with a black hoodie halfway zipped up. His silver hair hung straight down from his head, and his face was fully visible. To Fleur, he looked very stern, but also somewhat caring. Instead of a pink light, his was a pale turquoise color.

"Riku…?" Fleur questioned. "And Kairi?" Her voice was soft.

"…Yes. My friends… I only wish I knew what was happening… or what happened" His voice quivered with the last words, and Fleur embraced him in comfort.

"**Well…" **A woman's voice boomed from all directions.

Fleur and Sora jumped at the sudden loud voice that seemed to be coming from nowhere.

"**I could tell you, but you may just cry like a little baby…"**

Sora pushed Fleur behind him protectively. "Who are you?!" He demanded. He felt a burning sensation on his chest and raised his hand to his heart, where he felt the key inside his shirt. He remembered what happened with Roselin, and he tore it from his neck and clutched it tight, hoping for a keyblade. Sure enough, the key transformed almost immediately.

"Who are you, dammit!" He yelled, beginning to become frustrated.

**"Ooh, tou-chy... Well, I guess I could at least tell you my name." **There was a low chuckle. **"I am..."

* * *

**

Notes- OOOOOH!!! Suspense!! Who could it be? I DON'T KNOW! But… yes I do. For me to know and you to find out next chapter!! R+R!!!

-VarekaiSoleil


	22. An Explanation

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Final Fantasy Advent Children.

Notes- If you play KH then you probably know who this "mysterious" newcomer to my story is. But if you don't them I would expect you'd be excited for this chapter. Maybe, maybe not... but I ramble! GEH' ON WITHEH! That would be what it would look like if I typed "get on with it" in a British accent. So here I go!

* * *

Chapter 22-An Explanation

"**My name is Maleficent."**

The voice boomed.

"**And you are Sora, no doubt? Yes, yes... very good. You've finally arrived."**

Sora was still standing in front of Fleur, stunned at the name. He was speechless, staring in awe into the blackness from which the disembodied voice boomed from every direction. He could think of nothing to say. After a few moments of silence, though, his stun turned to rage.

"You! You witch! What have you done to Kairi and Riku?! Tell me!" He bellowed. "Show yourself, you coward!" He gripped the keyblade handle tighter.

"**Very well."** The voice boomed. Sora looked around, waiting to see her. Seconds passed before she faded into view several yards before him. His raged tripled inside of him as he was now holding the keyblade as tight as possible.

"**Happy?" **She said. Getting no reply, she answered herself. **"Yes? Good."**

She stood tall, with a long black cloak covering her entire body. Her pale face was framed by a large collar on her cloak, and her eyes pierced the black abyss.

"Ugly as ever." Sora commented, now gaining enough composure to throw smart remarks. "You never were much of a looker." He said with a smirk and a condescending chuckle.

"Let's not get cocky now." She replied, her voice becoming quieter now that she was there in body.

"Well, if I remember correctly, I earned bragging rights when I slit your throat in our last encounter. Now that you have my friends, oh... Not even your sick mind can imagine what I'll do to you." He paused, and she almost replied, but he cut her off and continued. "If you hand them over to me without a fight, maybe I'll only rip out one of your lungs... but I could take both if you prefer to be difficult."

Maleficent was becoming annoyed with Sora's confidence. Her pale face began to redden.

Fleur was standing behind Sora, just taking everything in. When had these two met before? What happened then? Alongside these questions, Fleur was shocked at Sora's attitude. She had never seen him this way. She had never even imagined that he _could_ be this way.

_She must have done something horrible for him to hate her with such passion..._ She thought to herself. But her thoughts were interrupted my Maleficent's voice.

"You have quite a bit of confidence in yourself, I see. Well, I guess we could negotiate... but I guess wrong, don't I?"

"Oh har! So funny I forgot to laugh. But wait... before we get bloody, tell me what you've done this time. All I know is my friends are living but completely unconscious and, well, dead. So what magic trick have you pulled this time?"

"An explanation... not too hard. See, they are very much alive. You obviously know that. But they've been robbed of their free will. I control them like puppets. They are sleeping simply because I've put a tiny spell on them."

Sora's rage began to resurface, but he suppressed it. "Very original." He remarked sarcastically.

"Why thank you. You make think so even more when I tell you how I've done it and why... care to hear?"

"Why not?" Sora said. Maleficent snapped and two chairs appeared. Sora took one and so did Fleur. Maleficent snapped again and a large throne appeared behind her. She sat.

"Where to begin... Well the heartless, for one thing, have become very useful to me as minions and servants. I've even been able to develop a new breed, capable of doing just what I've done to your friends. Now, as to why... I knew they would seek you out after the demise of your previous master, Lyvenn. When the castle was burned in the war, they escaped. I, of course, knew all of this because of my close relations to Lyvenn. I knew they had not yet been sold, even though you had and that Meichem was looking to pick a fight with Lyvenn."

She paused, hoping he would ask about Lyvenn. He just waved his hand for her to continue.

"Right. After what you did to me, I was not about to let you live a happy life with your friends. But killing them would take all the fun out of it, there would be no pursuit on your part once you discovered news of their death. So, I stole their free will. They do only what I tell them to. Understanding all this?"

"Of course. You know, Maleficent, you're not as smart as you may seem. See, even if you had killed them, there would be a pursuit. That of me after you, that is. And once I had succeeded in killing you, _again_, then I would only need to give my friends a proper resting place to end this all. So you wasted your time, because now you'll just have to die anyway, and my friends are still alive. I win."

"Oh do you? Hmph. You seem a bit too confident for my tastes. Sora, my dear, do you know what will happen if you kill me, since I possess your friends' free will?"

Sora hesitated.

"Exactly. Their free will would disappear forever, along with me. So sure, you would have your friends alive, but unable to do anything."

Sora just stared.

"But, there is one thing I may be willing to do in exchange for the free will of your friends."

He had an immediate change of heart. "Go on..."

* * *

Notes- Is Sora about to make a deal with the devil? Maybe so! Keep reading! R+R!!

-VarekaiSoleil


	23. Deadly Deal?

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Final Fantasy Advent Children

Notes- Ok people... If any of you have been reading this since the beginning, you know by now that my updates are usually pretty spaced apart... weeks, months... so here I am again, back from the seemingly dead, and here you have another chapter...

* * *

Chapter 23- Deadly Deal

Sora leaned back and threw one elbow over the back of his chair. "Go on..." he said calmly.

"You want the free will to be returned to Riku and Kairi. What I want, I am about to explain. First I must ask you, who is it you love the most?"

Sora paused. She was setting him up, he knew it. She was going to try to make him choose... so he lied.

"Who do I love the most? A beautiful Arcadian girl by the name of Davina." He bluffed. Was there such a woman? He didn't know. Fleur looked at him oddly, and he gave her a tiny wink to assure her of his plan.

"I see. Davina, you say? So, in return for the free will of the boy and the wench whom I hold captive, you will sacrifice that of your love, Davina. What do you say, your friends or your lover?"

He was surprised that this was working. Hadn't Maleficent realized that he was in love with Fleur?

He hesitated, acting as if it were a hard decision to make.

"I choose..." he faked a choking gulp. "My... my friends." He let his head fall and faked a few sobs.

"Very well then. Bring me this Davina. By the time you have returned with her, your friends will be restored, waiting in captivity for you to retrieve them."

"Yes, I see. I'm glad we could come to this conclusion."

Then he stopped to think. _Davina doesn't exist! How will this ever work?_ _What can I do... _He realized he hadn't a choice but to take back his friends by force. He saw an opportunity for attack now that Maleficent's guard had been put down. Still gripping the keyblade, he held it behind his back and stepped towards Maleficent, his empty hand outstretched.

"A deal isn't a deal unless there's a hand shake to seal it, agreed?"

Maleficent hesitated, but agreed.

"Agreed." She said calmly. She extended her hand and he grabbed it tightly, taking her by surprise. He yanked her arm over his shoulder and brought her to the ground. Standing over her, he put the keyblade to her throat.

"You bastard!" She breathed heavily, taken very much by surprise. Then her breathing calmed, and she laughed a light chuckle.

"It won't work." She began. "I'll just come back, just like last time."

"Wrong." Sora nearly yelled. "I've learned how to seal you away forever. While we've been in this dark, parallel universe of some sort, I've realized something. We're inside a book. Everything happening is recorded on its pages. I can leave at any time, whereas you don't have the power of the keyblade to do so. I'm not going to kill you... yet. As of now, I hold your life in my hands."

She looked at him oddly, as if begging for an explanation.

"Yes... I could leave here at any time, and lock the book up so you can never leave. If you give my friends their free will back, though, I may be kind enough to let you live in peace somewhere else. Understanding all this?"

She looked up at him. Realizing defeat, she nodded. "This hell I've created inside this book was just for your friends, for means of their suffering... I'd never stay here, not on my life." She stopped here, chuckling at the irony. "I guess I can do nothing but accept defeat gracefully."

Sora smiled at his victory.

"So where shall I be kept?" She sighed.

"Good question. I believe Lyvenn's castle is still uninhabited, correct? I shall allow you to live there, under a few conditions."

"I'm listening." She much enjoyed the idea of residing at such a fine castle as that of Lyvenn.

"First, you will reside there under maximum security, and you will be stripped of your powers so that you cannot leave. I have means by which to do this. But in return, you will be allowed whatever you wish. Restoration of the palace, servants, pets, subjects, whatever you desire. Sound reasonable?"

"Actually, yes. But how will you manage all this?"

Sora turned to Fleur. "With the death of Roselin, Fleur is able to reclaim her title of Princess, and if her parents cannot be found, Queen of the entire region, from Landen to Arcadia. Naturally, there is a fortune accompanying this, and a fraction can be sacrificed for you. So, are we agreed?"

"I believe so. When will I be moved?" She asked.

Sora tickled her throat with the keyblade. "I believe I'm asking the questions. Or rather, giving the orders. Revive Riku and Kairi immediately. Then we'll leave. Unfortunately for you, you'll have to stay here for awhile. That'll be your pay for what you've done. In a month's time, we'll return for you. By then, the castle will be ready. You'll be bound and transported there, then released to live out the remainder of your life in captivity."

"Like an animal!" She gasped.

"Fitting, I believe." He smiled. "As for now..." Sora tapped the ground with the keyblade. An energy wave sprang from its tip and wrapped around Maleficent's wrists, handcuffing her.

"These will wear off in a matter of hours." He moved away from her and took Fleur along with him. "Now, I believe you still have half of a deal to carry out... free them."

"I already have. Go! Get out of my sight! I wish not to see the face of my defeater any longer." She sobbed.

"Nice try. Later, Mallie. Have fun here while I'm gone!" Sora said, now with a new air of gladness and relief about him. "C'mon Fleur, let's go get them." He said, taking Fleur by the hand and turning towards the direction they'd come from.

* * *

Notes- Yippee for Sora!!! I'm having fun with this. 


	24. Reunited At Long Last

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Final Fantasy.

Notes- w00+! I know you may all be wondering why Sora was so merciful... Don't worry. I've got it all figured out. I am the author, after all... so on with chapter 24!

* * *

Chapter 24- Reunited At Long Last

Sora ran off in the direction of his friends, dragging Fleur behind him, as she could barely keep up. He had just begun to lose stamina and stumble a bit when he was stopped by an all-too-familiar voice.

"Sora? I... is that you?" Came a sweet, innocent voice.

"K... Kai? Kairi?" He struggled to say her name.

From out of the shadows appeared a lean figure with auburn hair, lengthened from the years worn by. She was stumbling a bit, not used to walking for awhile.

"Sora, it is you!" She gasped, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. She began to run forward but tripped. Just before she hit the ground, two hands came from behind her and grasped her arms.

"So clumsy... and now she's hallucinating..." said a deep voice, talking to himself. The hands lifted Kairi back onto her feet, and were followed by the body of a young man emerging from the shadows.

He was taller than Kairi, with straight silver hair that fell at different lengths. He wore black jeans, black shoes, and a yellow shirt with a black hoodie. His eyes were the purest shade of turquoise.

"C'mon, Kai..." he whispered to her. "We'll get out of here..."

"But look! It's Sora!" She nearly yelled at him.

"Kai! We both know Sora is-" He was stopped mid-sentence as he looked up to see his best friend accompanied by an unfamiliar face.

"No... way..."

"Riku... it's me!" Sora said excitedly.

Riku paused, then running forward with an outstretched hand to prove to himself that he was no dreaming. As his pace slowed, his hand came into contact with Sora's shoulder. He stopped, unbelieving of the fact that he had finally found Sora again.

Sora smiled, and the boys yanked each other into a hug like that of brothers separated for far too long. When they parted, Kairi was standing next to them. Sora grabbed her and held her tight.

"No way... I can't believe it! I thought you guys were done for!" He breathed.

"No Sora... We're here." Kairi said breathlessly. "And... I can't breathe!" She gasped once again, and Sora let her go with a laugh.

"So..." Sora began. "I hear you guys are lookin' for a one-way ticket outta this dump." He said jokingly.

"You know how to leave?" Riku asked curiously.

"Yea..." He answered, grabbing Fleur around her waist. "Hold on!"

Riku and Kairi looked at each other oddly. When they looked back at Sora, he was beginning to glow, and they quickly decided they should do what he said. They both grabbed onto his shirt and became engulfed in the light.

Sora awoke lying on the library couch with Fleur draped over him. Kairi was asleep sitting up, leaning against the couch. Riku was under the coffee table. As Sora stirred and sat up, Fleur awoke as well. Sora looked around the room and saw his friends on the ground, which made him smile uncontrollably.

"Should I have rooms prepared for them?" Fleur asked quietly, but loud enough to wake Kairi.

"Yes... two I think..." Sora answered. He looked down at Kairi who had crawled over to Riku.

"Riku... Riku..." She shook him gently. "Wake up..." Getting no response, she leaned down and kissed him lightly. He rolled over and looked up at her.

"I love you..." He said before his head hit the ground again from fatigue.

"Maybe... on second thought, just one." Sora corrected himself.

* * *

Notes- Woohoo!!! Home again, and with more friends to fill the castle... Happy Holidays! Maybe I'll do a Christmas chapter... What do you all think? Yes or no for the holiday special? R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil


	25. Finale!

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Advent Children.

Notes- Well, I believe this may be my last chapter... one more is possible. I am really anxious to get this story done and get my other ideas up here, because I think they'll be better all around... better than this one. I hope any readers still here have enjoyed this, though, and I have to say I am sorry to see it end.

* * *

Chapter 25- Finale

"Maybe they could share a room..." Sora muttered.

"Sure thing," Fleur smiled, catching the hint. She stood and left the room to seek out Hilda and have a room prepared.

Sora sat up and sighed with relief. _Finally home... my home... _our _home... for good._

He also straightened up, then kneeling beside the coffee table and peering underneath. Kairi was collapsed on Riku's chest.

"Hey, Kai, c'mon. Let's get him to a bed and get you guys something to eat and some clothes."

She smiled at the sight of her long lost friend and nodded. After crawling out from under the table, she and Sora moved it out of the way. With a bit of struggling, Sora managed Riku up around his shoulders and led the way for Kairi.

"What's wrong with him? Any idea?" Sora asked Kairi.

"Not sure... he's never traveled like that before. Maybe just stress and fatigue."

"But you've never..."

"Sora, I'm a princess... one of _the_ Princesses. I _have_ traveled in such a manner before. Unwillingly, yes, but only when I was taken from Riku by Maleficent. She did it, three times, to keep me away from him. But I guess her change of plans ruled for us to be kept together..."

"Why did she keep you separated?"

"Because I was of more value. After the fall of the kingdom, it was revealed to me that I was a Princess, and after that... well the faster I ran, the shorter my leash became, and Maleficent finally captured me."

At this moment, Riku flinched and groaned.

"Ah... my... head..." He mumbled.

Right in time, Fleur came scuttling down the hall towards them.

"Their room is this way," she said leading the way to a room around the corner and three doors down. She opened the door, and Sora, gently as possible, set Riku down on the bed. Kairi immediately ran to his bedside, sat down on the bed and began to fluff his pillow and push hair out of his face.

"I'll get him something hot to drink." Fleur said, taking Sora by the arm and leaving the room. Once outside the room, Fleur turned to Sora and looked into his eyes.

"What is it?" He cocked his head to the side.

"We're home..." She began, but impulsively decided to kiss him instead.

They stood outside the doorway, holding each other warmly and grasping the moment.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too." She breathed.

There was a pause, and then reality came back into view.

"We need to help him..." She said. "I'll fix him some tea. You go get them some better clothes to wear and make sure they're comfortable."

"Anything you say, m'lady." He kissed her on the forehead. She smiled and looked down, but he lifted her chin and smiled back at her.

Fifteen minutes later, Kairi was knocking on Riku and Kairi's door with a tray of tea and salt crackers. Kairi answered the door on the verge of tears.

"He's not waking up!" She sobbed.

"Shh... it's alright..." Fleur set the tray down on the bedside table and sat on the sofa with Kairi in her arms. "Shhh... He'll be fine... I'll check his vitals, okay?" Kairi nodded with a sniffle.

Fleur knelt by Riku and checked his pulse and heart rate. "Just like I said. A little fever, but he's fine. Don't worry, Kairi."

Kairi approached Fleur and smiled. "Thanks for all this... and you can call me Kai." They hugged, and just as Kairi began to silently sob once again, Riku's eyelids wrinkled and he squirmed a bit.

"Riku?!" Kairi gasped with hope in her voice. "Are you awake?"

Riku lifted his head and looked at her with a smile, then letting his head fall back on the pillow. Kairi shot up from her kneeling position to sit on the bedside. She lifted his head in her hands and let it rest in her lap. Fleur handed her the tea and she slowly helped him sip it. Once he was able to sit up, Kairi gave him the crackers and he nibbled them too, all in silence. Fleur then left the room.

Sora was downstairs the entire time, speaking with Yajai. He ordered two outfits for each of their new residents.

The day went as such, turning into evening. Riku progressed well; by dinner he was able to walk aided by Kairi. His fever subsided and he gained his apatite back. At dinner, he ate well and afterwards was able to get himself back up to their room. Kairi accompanied him after saying goodnight to Fleur and Sora.

"Thanks, you guys have been great." She said with a smile. She hugged them both and followed Riku upstairs.

"Sleep well!" Fleur called after her.

"We should get some rest too." Sora looked at Fleur. She smiled and began to go upstairs.

They both retired to Fleur's suite and slept peacefully, holding each other through the night.

As the sun rose and Fleur awoke, Sora did the same.

"Mmm... Good morning, m'lady." Sora nuzzled her gently. "What's today's agenda?"

Fleur thought for a moment.

Everything was...

normal.

There was nothing they _had_ to do.

For once in her life, she could so _whatever she wanted._

Completed. She was completed.

The love of her life lay next to her, ready to serve her every whim.

She loved him.

She had a comfortable life. Money, a home... but most importantly, her beloved friends. What else could she want? Nothing.

* * *

_Thus ends our adventure through the trials, troubles, and triumphs _

_of our princess and her loved ones.

* * *

_

Notes- And I apologize... I know I got lazy and rushed, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. I promise I'll do better on my next one. So, one last time, R+R! And my next story will be up soon. Arigato and Sayonara!

-VarekaiSoleil

* * *

COMING SOON!!! 

A merchant ship captained by two men of great status. All they could hope for is theirs: money, the most elite crew and ship in all of Geheim Plass, everything. But when the mystery of ultimate treasure tempts yet another ship to make berth in the foggy harbor of the Isla de Craneo, their bond may not survive the rocky truth.

Soon to be posted from VarekaiSoleil!


End file.
